The Inheritance Cycle: The White Fire Chronicles
by FenrirShadeslayer
Summary: After Inheritance, Alagaesia fell into chaos as Queen Nasuada's mages grew too n Fenrir & Evalette hope to escape? Rated for violence and possible romance in later chapters.Mostly new characters, though originals will play a part.
1. Chapter 1: The Journey so Far

**Time for another update! Even if you already read chapter one, I suggest you do it again. I've added ALOT! Huge thanks to eragon0123! His very detailed review helped me see what was missing, as well as tell me it was still wayy too short lol. So, I think this will be the last major update to chapter one, as long as no one else sees anything wrong with it. I'm gonna do an ugrade like this for chapter two as well, then hopefully I can finish working on chapter three.**

Chapter 1:

The Journey so Far

_Screams. Oh, Gods, the screams. They came from everywhere and nowhere, filling the air with the agony of a thousand souls. And the cold. Bone-numbing cold. He shivered in the cool, damp air. He recognized this place. He'd been here every night. He gazed upon the familiar stone walls, the dimming torches that lit the walls, casting ominous shadows over every crack and bump in the aging floor. He waited for his tormentor to arrive, as he did every night. The iron door swung open, and the startling white flowed into the room. The smoky mist seeped through the ridges in the ground, snaking its way around the room. This was it. The figure floated toward him, where he hung from his chains on the wall. The man drew a dagger, and even though he knew it wasn't real, the pain he felt as the blade sank into his heart was._

Fenrir woke with a pain-induced scream and found he was drenched in sweat.

_Same dream again_, he thought to himself.

He swung his legs over the side of his small cot, collecting his breath. His heart was racing. He began his breathing excercises. His friend Draj had shown him how to do this a few years ago. Fenrir had been having these dreams for most of his life, and they'd plagued his nights so he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in years. The figure had plunged his blade into his heart so many times, Fenrir had scars on his chest where he had been clawing at the pain. He calmed his mind and let his heartbeat take the tempo of his thoughts. The fear and anxiety of the night melted away, leaving his thoughts clear and placid. He missed Draj. They had gotten into every spot of trouble in town. The bakery down the street from Fenrir's house had always been Draj's favorite spot. Fenrir didn't approve of petty thievery, but Draj was his friend, and it was fun_._

_Plus, those muffins are to die for _Fenrir chuckled to himself. He wondered what Draj was doing right now_._

_I wonder if he misses me at all._ Fenrir shook the doubt out of his mind. _Of course he does, we are the best of friends._

Once he had control of himself again, he stood. He had to stoop to avoid the roof of the small tent. He walked out into the clearing in which he had made his camp. The towering trees meshed together so that only thin rays of sunlight came through, tinted green from the vibrant leaves of the forest. By his reckoning, he was somewhere in the woods just north of Gil'ead. He took a deep breath of the cool air, missing the warm sea mist of Teirm, the bustling seaside town he had grown up in. He began to gather his things, untying the ropes that held his tent in place. He had a good knowledge of a wide range of knots and their uses. He'd sometimes worked on the docks in Teirm to bring in a little extra income. The sailors of Teirm were a hardy bunch. When not shouting at each other in port, they could usually be found in one of the local taverns. The Blue Rider was one of his personal favorites.

It was named after The Hero of The Great Rebellion, Eragon Shadeslayer, and many of the Varden soldiers that served in the war spent their time there. Fenrir had spent hours just sitting among them and listening to their tales of bravery. While there were some who boasted about their own achievements, most spoke about Eragon. They told of the times when all would seem lost, and then Saphira would swoop down and fry the enemy to a crisp. They told of how they'd gathered round, as Eragon bested the Elves in furious swordplay. Some even said that Eragon had a romance with the Queen of the Elves, Arya Shadeslayer, but Fenrir knew a fierce Rider like Eragon would never allow himself to be tied down to a woman, and dismissed these as the ramblings of drunken old men. Fenrir had come to see Eragon as a role model. He had practiced magic whenever he could, flourished a blade whenever possible. But try as he might, Fenrir knew he could never possess the skill of a Rider.

Fenrir caught himself being distracted, and returned to packing his things.

_I've been in one spot for too long as it is, it's a wonder they haven't found me _he thought.

The work passed by quickly as he went over his journey so far. He had fled from Teirm on horseback along the Toark River. After resting for a day on the shores of Woadark Lake, he had continued east until he was out of The Spine, the massive mountain chain that split the land. He had made the decision to go to New Carvahall, hoping someone there could help him. Carvahall had been destroyed in the Great Rebellion, but rebuilt afterwards. Lord Roran Stronghammer had been given the land by Queen Nasuada at the end of the war, and he had overseen the rebuilding of his hometown. Fenrir traveled along the edge of the mountains for days, until he arrived in Lord Roran Stronghammer's small town.

He had tried desperately to gain an audience with Stronghammer, but to no avail. After a week of living on the outskirts of the town, they found him. Du Hvitr Istalri Dominia, the White Fire Dominion. What started out as Queen Nasuada's sentries of magic had grown into a powerful organization. Their original purpose was to keep the mages of Alagaesia under control, but over time they acquired so much power that no one dared go against their word. They started prosecuting all mages, whether they used their powers for selfish reasons or not.

_King Orrin probably wouldn't have let us be controlled by these fiends_ Fenrir growled to himself as he remembered his run-in with the White Fire soldiers.

_They had caught him while he slept. Fenrir instinctively flinched as he saw the image of the poisoned blade whipping toward him. He had just barely managed to roll out of the way, the blade coming so close it sliced a shallow cut in his abdomen, which left a nasty infection for the next few days. _

_He had tried to set his attacker aflame, shouting "Brisingr", the Ancient word for fire._

_The assailant's wards stopped his spell. He tried a different spell, something less direct. After a few long seconds of thought as he dodged the attacker's sword, he devised a spell that may be strange enough to evade his wards. _

_Fenrir had gathered his strength and shouted "Blod Letta!" hoping to make his victim's blood stop. _

_At first nothing happened, but soon the soldier's breathing became frantic as he tried to get oxygen to his body. After a few seconds, he had passed out. Fenrir had tried to evade the other soldiers, but they caught him and pinned him to the ground. _

_As they attempted to bind his hands and mouth, he let loose one last spell. _

_He hoped their wards wouldn't protect them as he yelled "Vaetna Aptr". _

_His spell, which had been literally "scatter backward", had thrown them all off him. They landed a few yards away, dazed from the impact. He ran as fast as he could, putting as much distance as he could between him and the White Fire soldiers. He followed the Anora River out of the mountains and ran to the woods, where he had rested until now._

Fenrir allowed the memories to fade and drew back to the present. His things were packed and bundled together in a backpack that his father, Garven, had given him on his 16th birthday. It was a sturdy leather pack, with plenty of pouches to hold anything he needed. It was dirty after its recent use, and had a small rip in one pouch. Fenrir had hated himself for letting that happen. He remembered his dad's warm smile as he showed it to him.

"You're a man now, soon you'll be heading out on your own" his father had said, and Fenrir saw a lone tear escape from the old man's eye. Fenrir had watched the tear trail down his father's cheek as it followed the light wrinkles of his aging face. His father had been a mage in the Varden army during the Great Rebellion. After the war was won, he had retired and settled in Teirm, hoping to make a living working the docks. It seems the other retired soldiers had the same idea though, and he couldn't find a lasting job in port. So he went to the far outskirts of town and got a job as a miner in The Spine. It was dangerous work, but a wealthy family had just struck a gold deposit and was hiring miners for good coin. Two years later, Fenrir and his sister Evalette's mother had given them to Garven to live with him. Fenrir was one year old and Evalette was just a few months old at the time. Their mother never returned for them.

He shook off the memory, wiping a tear that had flowed down his own face._ I can't go back now; I'd only be bringing them more trouble._

He missed his father, but he also missed his sister Evalette. She was a year younger than Fenrir. He missed the glow of her eyes when she tagged along with him and Draj, helping them plan the latest heist. Sometimes having three people almost got them caught, but she was fast. Gods, was she fast. Not just in physical speed, but in her mind too. She could devise new strategies so fast, it made her unpredictable. As kids they'd duel each other with broken practice swords that the Royal Army discarded. While Fenrir overpowered her in pure strength by a long shot, he couldn't keep up with her swift flourishes. He could've sworn she was part elf.

He had asked his father if any of their ancestors were elven. He never got an answer, but he thought they must. Even his name was elven. His father had told him that his mother chose the name. Fenrir and Evalette couldn't remember their mother. Garven only said she left shortly after they were born. While it was painful to leave Evalette behind, she had never shown any signs of an affinity for magic, so he hoped she would be left alone. It had been two weeks since he fled Teirm and left them behind.

He continued walking through the outskirts of the forest. He had no idea where he was going, east he hoped, though he wasn't sure. He stomped his way through the tall fields of grass that stretched over the plains of Alagaesia. They were shorter here at the edge of the woods but still reached to his waist. Sometimes he would stop to rest for a few minutes and just gaze out at the rolling hills of green. The blanket of fresh spring grass waved over the land like a huge green ocean. He would sometimes fall asleep for half an hour, then continue on his way. Fenrir continued traveling well past nightfall, until he couldn't stay on his feet any longer. He pitched his tent, making sure to cover it so no one would notice him. he gathered fallen branches off the forest floor and laid them over his tent. Then he covered it in leaves. The cover was so thick, it kept in heat and protected him from the cool winds that flowed over the land at night. It also kept the light from his lantern hidden. As he did every night, he went over his limited knowledge of the ancient language. He didn't know many words, but he recited them nonetheless. He went over all the spells and combinations he could think of, practicing the pronunciation of each very carefully. His father had told him that the Ancient Language was difficult to master, and easy to accidently use the wrong spell. Fenrir had no problem saying the strange sounds of the elves, and memorized new words fairly quickly, but he did as father said. After all, Fenrir had much less experience than him. Once he was content with his practice, he extinguished his lantern and lay down for the night, awaiting the pain of his nightmares.


	2. Chapter 2: Wakeup Call

**Here is another update for chapter 2. I dont think I'm going to be updating chapter 1 and 2 anymore, I really need to work on more chapters. Thanks for all the supoort and feedback so far!**

**Reviews are much appreciated, your feedback helps shape the story. Please let me know what you think of A) the story, and B) the writing itself (detailed descriptions, grammar, spelling, is it easy to follow, etc). Enjoy!**

Chapter 2:

Wake-up Call

Fenrir woke early in the morning, before the sun had risen. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stepped out into the crisp morning air. He began collecting his things, knowing he had to keep moving. Suddenly he caught a flash of movement in the corner of his vision. He rolled to the side and whipped around to face his attacker but there was no one there. He had come to assume everything was a threat, and it had kept him safe so far. He steeled his mind in anticipation of a mental attack, while also going through all the spells he knew.

A searing pain shot through his leg. He let out a yelp of agony and looked to see what it was. Wrapped around his right ankle was a barbed rope, its tiny needles piercing his skin. Before he could follow the rope to its thrower, his legs were yanked from beneath him. He released another cry of pain as the needles dug deeper into his flesh. He could hear movement in the trees as his attackers coordinated their attack. At last he caught sight of a white cloaked figure concealed in the branches of a nearby tree.

Fenrir shouted "Kverst", meaning cut, and the rope snapped.

He slipped free and looked back to where he had seen the White Fire Hunter.

Once he found him again, Fenrir yelled "Jierda", break, and the branch that the hunter was crouched on broke, sending him falling to the forest floor.

Fenrir's vision blurred as something hit him hard from the back. He tried to turn and fight but he was hit again from his left. He whipped his leg around in a blind kick. He felt it connect and heard a hard thud as the hunter hit the ground. Fenrir used the brief pause in the assault and whispered a quick healing spell to stop the bleeding in his leg. He heard boots hitting the ground as someone ran towards him. He ran to the soldier he had just defeated and pulled the man's shortsword from its sheath. He slashed at the soldier running towards him and was met with a clang of metal. The soldier snarled at him and tried to slash under Fenrir's guard. Fenrir anticipated the attack and leapt back, narrowly dodging the whistling steel. He immediately countered with a furious stab at the man's stomach. The soldier saw it coming and knocked Fenrir's blade to the right. Fenrir used the momentum to his advantage and spun around to slash at the man's left side. His sword connected with the man's shoulder. Fenrir followed with a slice at the man's neck and ended him mercifully quick.

Fenrir walked towards the soldier he had kicked earlier, who now lay crumpled on the ground. He reached down and lifted the soldier up, propping his limp body against a tree.

Fenrir checked the man's pulse. There was a small heartbeat pulsing in the man's neck, faint but it was life nonetheless.

_He's still alive, but just barely. Now's my chance to get a few answers. _

After a few minutes, the soldier came to. "Wha- where am I?" the man stuttered, struggling against the ropes Fenrir had tied him with.

"Your attack failed, and you're not going anywhere until you answer a few questions" Fenrir said in his most menacing voice.

He knew most of these soldiers were much older than him, and it would take a lot to intimidate them.

The man's eyes wandered until they focused on Fenrir. He took on a confident look, but Fenrir still saw a hint of fear in his eyes. "I'll do no such thing, mage filth" the man said, spitting at Fenrir.

Fenrir did not take the insult lightly, but he knew these men would not break under physical harm. He also knew they were well trained in defending their minds, so attempting to probe his memories would do no good either. He had to try simple reasoning, which no training could protect a soldier from.

"Mage filth, eh? If mages are the threat you believe they are, why do you take orders from them?" Fenrir questioned, attempting a persuasive tone but not too sure of the effect.

"The Archmages are wise and protect us from those who abuse the power of the Ancient Language" The soldier replied, though he didn't sound confident in his answer.

Fenrir allowed himself a quick smile, glad to see he might be able to seed doubt in the man's mind. Though it was small, this triumph meant he had at least one weapon against the Dominion, and he was elated to have that at least.

"You don't think its wrong for the Archmages to command around normal soldiers like you? It sounds to me like you are nothing but their puppet. You aren't loyal to them, you fear them" Fenrir said, putting emphasis on "fear" and watching the man's reaction.

To Fenrir's surprise, the soldier looked genuinely afraid. Fenrir could see there was something much deeper looming over the soldier.

"N-No, the Archmages are wise, they p-protect us!" the soldier repeated.

"Is that all they tell you?" Fenrir questioned. "Do you know what it is they are doing? Why they send you after mages?" Fenrir paused, letting his words soak in. "They've forced you into an oath haven't they? You couldn't leave their service even if you wanted to" Fenrir continued.

Fenrir was stunned, for the soldier looked to be on the verge of tears. "Y-You're right, I can't leave their service" the soldier wept. No tears escaped his eyes, but his breathing was irregular and he spoke with little confidence.

Fenrir couldn't believe this man was actually crying, though he was glad to have gotten through to him. Still, this kind of reaction meant that there was something seriously wrong with this man.

"But we are not sworn to them" the soldier continued. Fenrir was confused. How could the man not leave their service if he still had his free will? He was about to ask what he meant, when the soldier broke in again. "It's our families. They have our families." Fenrir had not expected this at all. His heart skipped a beat at the revelation. "They tell us if we enlist, our families will be safe. They move our loved ones into a heavily guarded district, but then once they are moved in, they lock us out. They tell us that our families will be perfectly safe as long as we perform our duties well."

Fenrir was surprised. He'd known the White Fire Dominion was harsh, but he never thought they'd resort to something like this.

"Does the Queen know of this?" Fenrir demanded.

The man chuckled solemnly. "Oh, mage, one could fill many libraries with things the Queen does not know" the man replied. There was a darkness in the man's humor that unsettled Fenrir greatly.

Fenrir suddenly felt sorry for the man, knowing he was being forced in the cruelest way. He began to untie him as he told the soldier "if you tell me where they are, I can help you free them" though he had not the slightest idea how he could rescue anyone from a White Fire Citadel.

He couldn't imagine the guilt this man must have felt, leaving his family in the hands of the Dominion. He tried to imagine what it would be like if Evalette or his father were being held, forcing him to capture and kill his fellow man. He saw his father and sister sitting in their prison, White Fire guards watching their every move.

_It's barbaric._

The soldier spoke again, tears streaming down his face, "I am sorry mage, but for the good of my family, I cannot return empty-handed."

Then Fenrir saw the man pull a small object out of his pocket, and he took a step back. He'd never seen anything like it. It was a small orb that looked to be made of some kind of metal, with a small lever on the top.

"While I appreciate your concern, my family will not die in your place" the man sighed.

Then there was a deafening roar and a blinding light as the small object he was holding exploded.


	3. Chapter 3: From the Ashes

**Hey guys! Sorry it has been a while since I uploaded a new chapter, but I was doing major updates on the first two chapters, and I havnt had much time to write :/ but I was free today so I spent four hours of just nonstop writing. I'm quite worn out now, but I think this chapter turned out quite good. (If you figure out the secret hint in the last paragraph, keep it to yourself, don't ruin it for others ;) ) **

**As always, enjoy and please review!**

Chapter 3:

From the Ashes

Fenrir groaned as he regained consciousness. He could barely breathe; the air was so dense and blisteringly hot. Memories of the explosion came flooding back to him. _What was that device?_ He struggled to come to terms with the fact that the simple metal sphere had that much power. If the White Fire Dominion had discovered something as powerful as that, and didn't require magic to operate it, then Alagaesia was in much more danger than he had previously thought.

He tried to get up and a pain shot through his stomach. He felt something in his body that definitely was not supposed to be there. He tenderly ran his left hand over his abdomen until he found something rough protruding from stomach and realized there was a piece of wood stuck in his abdomen, just above his left hip.

_Dear Gods, give me strength._

He mentally prepared himself then yanked it out. The preparation didn't work. A scream escaped him as the wood shredded his flesh on its way out. Fresh blood seeped from the injury. Fenrir whispered a healing spell and sighed as relief flooded through his body outward from the injury. There was a tingling sensation that drove him crazy as the splinters of wood were pushed out of the wound and the gash was sewn shut.

After the relief wore off, he was reminded of where he was by a burning tree falling somewhere behind him. The smoke was so thick he could barely see a few yards in front of him. Embers flew through the air like glowing spirits. The flames roared like rolling thunder, crackling and popping as they engulfed the once beautiful scene. He stood and stumbled through the burning air. He was badly bruised and thought his right wrist was broken. Wisps of smoke clogged his lungs and the heat stung his eyes. It took all he had to not just sit down and rest. The forest was falling apart around him as the flames of the explosion ravaged the woods.

The forest began to blur and twist as Fenrir slowly suffocated on the burning air. He franticly searched for the edge of the woods, praying for a way out. He had never longed for clean air more. The simple act of breathing was now the greatest pleasure in his eyes. No amount of the finest wines or fairest maidens in all of Alagaesia could compare to the bliss of filled lungs. Images of loved ones danced across his vision, some were pleasant memories, and others were horrible waking nightmares. He saw Evalette sitting in a sunlit meadow that didn't belong in the raging flames. Her fierce eyes met with his and she smiled briefly before the flames took her. He saw his father working in the mines of Teirm. He was covered in sweat, not from the fire, but from the hard work of trying to support his small family. On multiple occasions, Fenrir was attacked by White Fire soldiers only to have them disappear just before their weapons sliced him open. Even his nightmare tormentor paid him a visit. Fenrir had fallen to the ground in pain as the figure's knife sank into his heart once again.

Suddenly, Fenrir felt a breeze_. A breeze!_ His mind cleared slightly at this hope of escape. He ran with his little remaining strength, searching for the source of the cool air.

_There it is! _

He sprinted towards the forest edge with everything he had left. Burning branches clawed at him and he had almost no air in his lungs. At long last, he burst from the inferno and out onto the plains. He slowed to a stop a dozen yards from the edge of the woods, then collapsed onto the ground. The clean, cool air flowed through him. The hard, cold dirt welcomed his tender, burnt skin. He was bleeding and badly burned, but couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. In fact he couldn't bring himself to do anything at all. The immense relief of escaping certain death blanketed over his mind. The adrenaline that had kept him going now left him dazed and weak. The smell of singed hair and burnt flesh made him sick. He slowly allowed rest to take over, though in the back of his mind, he knew he may not wake.

Fenrir faded in and out of consciousness. He caught glimpses of the sun, of the ground beneath him. His thoughts wandered as his subconscious took over. His mind filled with memories from throughout his life. The memory of his first fishing trip surfaced, brought up from when he was only twelve.

_Fenrir and his father went down to the docks of Teirm looking for something to do in the free time they had. Evalette had not joined them, claiming she already had plans with other friends. A man had walked up to them and started them in conversation. He was an old sailor and had just bought his own ship. Because he didn't have a crew yet, he offered Fenrir and his father a spot on his ship for the day. Promised a third of any profit, Fenrir and his father had accepted and the three had set sail shortly after._

_The seas were rough that day, but the nets were bringing in a generous supply of fish. The sailor, who never mentioned his name, had taught Fenrir all about fishing. He learned how to haul in the nets, how to repair them when they snapped, where to search for fish, and even showed Fenrir how to sail the ship itself. Fenrir and his father had a great time as they indulged in this Teirm tradition. _

_It had grown late in the day, and the sun was beginning to set. The sailor had begun to steer the ship back to port, when a frighteningly dark storm cloud caught them from the north. They had all noticed it looming over the thrashing sea a few miles away before but thought they would be back in Teirm long before it hit. The storm had apparently been pushed by a strong trade wind, causing it to hit them much sooner than anticipated._

_The sailor began shouting orders at both of them, franticly trying to keep the ship from taking on water. Fenrir knew all too well how dangerous these coastal storms could be. His friend, Draj, had lost his older brother in a storm a few years ago. Fenrir followed the sailor's orders as fast as he could, knowing their lives depended on it. He scrambled around the ship, adjusting ropes and moving cargo. The sea water splashed over the ship, making it difficult to move without slipping. _

_Fenrir had noticed his father and the sailor arguing. From what he heard, his father wanted the sailor to release the fish they had caught to lighten the load. Needless to say, the sailor was not keen on the idea. They argued for a few minutes, his father claiming it was the only way to escape the storm, and the sailor saying he could not afford to lose the day's haul. They were shouting at each other furiously after a few moments. Then the sailor had punched Fenrir's father across the face. Fenrir hadn't thought of what he was doing, he simply ran at the sailor and tackled him. He punched madly at the man, furious at him for harming his father, who was only trying to save their lives. His father got up and pulled Fenrir away from the man. The sailor recovered and got up. He ordered Fenrir and his father off the ship. They had protested, but in the end they were forced into a small row-boat that was strapped to the side of the ship. _

_They rowed as hard as they could, trying to keep the small boat afloat in the raging waves. After what seemed like days, the storm began to clear. They rowed to shore and found they had landed far south near the town of Kuasta. They had caught a carriage and, after a day of travel, arrived in Teirm to find a very worried Evalette. Both of them were drenched and tired, but they couldn't bear to leave her side again, even for a brief time to sleep._

_After a couple days, things returned to normal, but Fenrir and Evalette were always much closer after that. The sailor however, never made it back to Teirm._

The memory faded away. Fenrir had no idea how much time was passing as he lay there in that field. Then his view changed. After a while he began seeing boots, hearing voices, and feeling himself being lifted. He felt fingers on his neck. They were too soft to belong to a man, yet whoever it was did have combat experiences. He tried to tell them he was alive but he couldn't form his thoughts into words and he faded out of consciousness again. When next he regained some level of awareness, he was inside. He didn't know where he was, but it looked to be a wooden shack and the air was warm and dry. He heard whispering. He couldn't figure out how many voices there were, or which direction they came from. It sounded like it was meant to be soothing, but he couldn't tell what they were saying. His eyes wandered, searching for whoever was speaking. He saw two figures knelt on either side of him. Through his blurred vision he could tell they were dressed in dark green cloaks. The one on his right was taller, and so he assumed they were older. The other figure looked to be younger, and had their hands stretched out above him.

_They must be healing me._

He tried to thank them but still couldn't speak. The older figure placed their hand on his forehead. This time he knew it was a woman. Her hands were slender and smooth, yet he could feel the strength that comes with combat hidden within. There was something strangely familiar about her touch. His mind slowly calmed and his senses became slightly less dull. He caught a quick, clear glimpse of the woman. She had dark hair and angled features, and Fenrir knew immediately she was an elf. She looked young, maybe in her late-twenties, but her eyes told of wisdom far beyond that age. He had a memory of seeing her before, but it was a memory that he could not gather. The images slipped around his mind, evading his every attempt to form the complete picture. The woman murmured something in the Ancient Language and Fenrir began to slip back into unconsciousness. He tried to stay awake but couldn't fight the magic. He fell asleep with the sweet smell of crushed pine needles filling the room.


	4. Chapter 4: Left Behind

**Update: changed Illeria back to Gil'ead,there was a small mistake with that. Thanks to eragon0123 again, you're a life saver.**

**Update: Added more description of Evalette, changed "Gil'ead" to "Illeria", and extended her journey from two weeks to two months. Thanks goes out to eragon0123 for another helpful review, as well as booklover1498 for pointing out that Gil'ead is now called Illeria.**

**Alright guys, sorry for the wait. I was really busy this week and wanted to finish this chapter yesterday but had some major writer's block :/ but I finished it today and I'm pretty happy with the final product. Obviously this is Fenrir's sister, Evalette's point of veiw. I wanted to switch things up a bit. Hope you enjoy and as always, please review! :D**

Chapter 4

Left Behind

Evalette slowly sat up. She gazed around the now gloomy atmosphere of their small Teirm home. Colorful rugs patched over the cold wooden floor. Hundreds of paintings adorned the walls. Father frequently bought these exotic decorations from the trade caravans that made their way through Teirm. The flamboyant patterns now sat gathering dust, mocking their misery. Father had the benefit of still going to work in the mines, but Evalette had nothing to occupy her mind.

Nothing except Fenrir.

She still couldn't believe he had left. He hadn't left anything to let them know where he had gone. Her own brother, gone without a clue to his motives. She did know one thing though; Fenrir would never have left unless he really believed he needed to.

Evalette got out of bed and dressed in a bland, cream-colored tunic. Out of habit, she still stopped at the mirror that hung on the wall of her room. She tried to fix her hair so she would look somewhat decent, but she honestly just didn't care anymore. She gathered her light brown hair into a rough bun in the back and wiped the sleep from her deep green eyes. She ran her hand over her gently angled features. Though she had been sought after by many young men, she simply didn't pay any attention to them. Beauty meant very little to her, for it seemed to serve no useful purpose whatsoever. Father said she was just like her mother in that regard. Still, even though didn't hold it at a high priority, Evalette was secretly thankful for her looks.

She made her way out the back door and sat on a rotting stump. It was covered in moss and the soft, dying wood made it surprisingly comfortable. She sat alone in the salty air as the strong coastal winds whistled through her hair. Her eyes grew wet as they fell upon one of the old training swords that she and Fenrir had sparred with. She walked over to the weapon and picked it up. It was heavy with memories. With tears in her eyes, Evalette threw the blade into a nearby tree, where it sank firmly into the thick wood.

_Why did you leave us?_

Someone approached from the path that led to their house.

"That's quite the talent you have" the figure said.

Evalette turned to face the new arrival. The man was young, maybe early twenties, and had short blonde hair and blue eyes. But what really caught her attention was his clean, white robe. It hung a few inches from the ground, gently brushing over the tips of the grass. He wore a thick leather belt around it, keeping it gathered and out of the way of his black boots.

"Thank you" she said, hiding her suspicions.

The man walked to the tree and yanked the practice sword out of the wood. His arm flexed beneath his thick white sleeve. He spun the blade around in his hand as he spoke.

"My name is Kairarus. As I'm sure you have already suspected, I am from the White Fire Dominion" he said in a calm business-like tone.

Evalette tensed.

"Yes, I suspected so. How can I be of service?" she said fearfully.

Kairarus smiled at her feeble attempt at manners. She realized it was quite pathetic for the sister of a mage to pretend to show any good-will towards an agent of the White Fire Dominion.

"My dear girl, there is no need for such pleasantries. I am here only for your brother. He has evaded us thus far, much to our displeasure, and so we have need of your cooperation. I wish to keep our meeting brief and peaceful, so I will complete my introduction." Here he cleared his throat. "My name is Kairarus, and I am your Dauth Sundavr, your Death Shadow. An intimidating title, yes, but it only means that I am your hunter. Every mage has one. We are specially trained for our specific target. Mine is you. However, my more violent services are not required yet, as you have not yet shown signs of being a threat" he said with his stern, business tone.

Evalette did not speak.

_Could every mage in Alagaesia really have a trained killer hunting them?_

Kairarus took another step toward her.

"Where is your brother now? Surely he has contacted you since his foolish attempt to escape to New Carvahall" he demanded, continuing to walk towards her.

"No, hunter, he has not. I had not the slightest idea where he had gone before now, but I must thank you for telling me of his whereabouts" Evalette said calmly.

She was growing increasingly hostile towards these people, these assassins that have been hunting her brother, forcing him to flee his own family. Her fury drove her thoughts at an immense speed, going through strategies to strike back at the infernal Dominion.

"What a shame. Well, my lady, if you do find him, there is no need to contact us, for if you meet him, you will have led us to him" Kairarus said with a sly smile.

Her subconscious settled on a method of attack, and without thinking, she closed the little distance between them and grabbed the dull practice sword from the hunter's grip. She spun around, kicking his legs out from under him, and with a blood thirsty cry, swung the blade at the man's head.

She heard an amused chuckle. Her sword had dug into the dirt beside her target, leaving Kairarus laughing at her pathetic attempt on his life. She swung again. Once again her sword glanced off the invisible wall around him.

_Gods, I hate magic._

She dropped the sword and sprinted away as fast as she could, knowing Kairarus would no longer keep their meeting peaceful. She headed towards the docks, hoping he would be hindered by so many witnesses. As she entered the market, people turned to look at the girl running past. As far as they were concerned though, she was no more than a child playing in the streets. She cursed their indifference, but dared not stop to plead for help.

Evalette ran up a pile of cargo and leapt to the rooftops. She slowed to keep her footing on the slanted roofs, but did not stop. She jumped down onto a street vendor's pile of ornate rugs and blankets. The man shouted at her, but did not give chase. She sprinted towards an old building that she, Draj, and Fenrir had used to hide before.

Evalette slid beneath the boards that blocked the doorway, and then huddled in a dusty, shady corner. She tried to slow her breathing as she listened for her pursuer. She heard heavy footsteps outside and tensed. The boards broke and fell to the ground, and Kairarus slowly entered the building. Evalette's heart was racing. She felt like she was going to die of anxiety before he even found her. Kairarus turned towards the corner in which she hid, and something snapped inside Evalette's mind. All the fear sank away and her vision became clearer. Her thoughts raced through hundreds of attack strategies. Her every movement was so quick, the world seemed to be moving in slow motion. She ran along the wall and then launched herself at the hunter. As she hit him square in the chest, she simultaneously pulled his sword from its sheath. They hit the ground with a crash and Evalette rolled away from him as he reached for a small dagger in his boot. She spun around and slashed the dagger from his hand. He grunted as the tip of the blade slit his hand.

_How am I getting past his wards?_

She quickly followed with another slice at his legs and he staggered to the ground.

Kairarus laughed through the pain.

"What a pleasant surprise. Your immense speed is incredible enough to slip through magical warding. However, while I am impressed dear girl, you have also caught the Dominion's attention, and so you will not be using your gift much longer" Kairarus laughed.

Evalette simply stood before him, her sword raised to his throat.

"Do not think that killing me will end your troubles, child. In due time, you will be assigned a new hunter, most likely far more capable than I" Kairarus said.

Evalette raised the blade.

"Let them come" she spat at him.

Then she brought the sword across his neck and there was a horrible slicing sound as he was beheaded.

As her fury faded away, she dropped the sword. She and Fenrir had sparred each other numerous times, but she had never killed anyone. Evalette slowly exited the old building and started to make her way to the outskirts of town. Though she was not a mage, she knew they would come for her. The wide open plains outside the city greeted her with open arms. She was now on the run as well.

As she neared the river that led inland, she saw a small dinghy sitting on the bank. Although she had never had trouble stealing with Draj and Fenrir, it seemed different now. Nevertheless, she needed to get far from the city, so she took the small boat and rowed towards Woadark Lake. The sparkling clear freshwaters accompanied her, easing her mind of fear and relaxing her nerves. She rested under a tree by the lake that night, listening to the wildlife around her. It was so different far away from the bustling cities of men. The birds' singing awoke her in the morning, and she continued on her way. Once she made it to the east bend of the Toark River, she abandoned the boat and continued on foot. Judging by the landmarks she knew, she proceeded northeast towards Du Weldenvarden. Evalette had no intention of seeking help from the elves, but the White Fire Dominion was weaker near Elven territory.

After a few days, she neared Gil'ead. She knew little about the city, and had no idea how strong the White Fire presence was there, so she chose to circle around it. She had a better sleep than usual, resting in a hay pile on a nearby farm, but then continued on her way. The next landmark she had made it to was Mt. Marna, where she slept overnight in a shallow cave. She had a particularly rude awakening by some sort of scavenging animal, but she quickly frightened the creature off and went back to her rocky, uncomfortable sleep.

The next morning, she left the mountain headed east, ceasing her northward travel. After a few weeks of walking, she began to feel the warm, dry climate of the Hadarac Desert. The dirt beneath her feet gradually grew fine and sandy. It was very different from the moist coastal air of Teirm, and she discovered that definitely did not like the desert. At this point it was becoming quite difficult to find water and food.

After some experimental hunting, she discovered that there were small rodents which had very poor eyesight. She simply referred to them as "Meat Mice" for that was all they were to her at this point. If she stayed still, they would scurry close enough to her that she could lash out and decapitate them. She felt bad for killing the adorable creatures, but after cooking them on very smoky fires built from the occasional tumbleweed, they were delicious, and her stomach thanked her. Finding water had been much more difficult however. Since there was no rainfall, she searched for the next best thing: plants. After some very painful experiences, Evalette discovered that the strange green balls which lay on the ground were actually plants. They were covered in needles, which made opening them somewhat of a challenge. She eventually settled on the least painful method. She used the now dull blade that she carried to slice open the top of the plants. She tossed aside the "lid" and speared the "bowl" that was left behind on the end of her sword. She used the sword as a handle to carefully lift it over her head and allow the plant's moisture to drip into her mouth. It held very little water, and sometimes a stray needle would come in painful contact with her skin, but even so, she continued, for Evalette knew she was making quick progress towards the outskirts of elven territory, fueled by her breathtaking speed, despite her hunger.

On her second month of travel since she fled Teirm, she was at the northern reaches of the desert when she saw a small wooden shack far off on the northern horizon. While she disliked encountering people for the fear of being reported to the Dominion, she could not resist the temptation of even temporary shade in this gods-forsaken desert. She altered her course and steadily made her way towards the hovel, her worn leather shoes shuffling through the rough sands. After another half-day of travel, she had made it to the shack. She opened the door and froze. Fenrir was lying on the floor, barely recognizable under the layer of burns and scars which plagued his body. On either side of him were two women dressed in dark green cloaks. They looked to be healing him, but she could not be sure, as she had very little knowledge of the workings of magic. They ceased their murmuring and looked to her. She was prepared for them to attack the unwelcome visitor, but the taller of the two women murmured something in a strange tongue that Evalette assumed was the ancient language. Instantly Evalette felt her mind begin to sink into sleep, and she slowly sank to the floor as the magic rendered her unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5: Voids & Revelations

**Update 07/16/12: Removed an error in the storyline from this chapter. PM me if you can't find the change, I don't want to post a spoiler.**

**Update: Added alot more so you will want to read again. Now it is up to standard length, and sets up for the next chapter nicely. Due to the concerns of booklover1498 (be sure to check her out, she is a very talented and active writer), I beleive I should specify that "the green spirit/Fenrir's Mother" is not dead. Sorry if I confused anyone, haha, it's not meant to be a "ghost", just a visual representation of her mind, like the lights that represented life in Eragon's training with Oromis. Hope you enjoy this update, and ill be working on the next chapter in the meantime!**

**Hey guys! So super sorry I didnt get to update last weekend like I'm supposed to, but I was really busy :( But guess what? Today (March 13th) is my birthday! Yay! Haha, anyway, I decided to use my free time today to finish this and get it posted. I know it's not very long but it was a good stopping point. I may add more to it if I get time but I'll probably just move on to the next chapter. As always, please review and hope you enjoy it! :D**

Chapter 5:

Voids & Revelations

Fenrir slowly became aware of a change in his mind. He was still unconscious yet, he was aware of it. The world was a misty black fog around him. Distant specks of light shimmered out of reach. His sight was without direction, there was no edge to his vision. The vast obsidian pool surrounded him completely. He tried to move but found that there was nothing to move. His mind seemed to no longer be tethered to his physical body.

A bright orb of green light entered his panoramic view. It shone brightly and wispy tendrils of mist flowed around it. The center pulsed slowly like a heartbeat.

_Greetings Fenrir, it has been so long since we've spoken._

The strange voice entered his mind. It was not a voice he recognized, and could not recall ever meeting this orb of light. Fenrir had no idea how to speak without a physical body but he assumed that if this was his mind, he need only think his response.

_W-who are you? _

Fenrir stuttered slightly as he heard the strange sound that was not the same as his physical voice. It was deeper, wiser than his real voice, and echoed in the emptiness around him.

_Where am I?_

There was a pause after his pair of questions. Then he felt the presence of the green light again.

_My identity is of no importance at the moment. Know only that I am your ally and wish to see you reach your full potential. As for your second inquiry, the answer is a bit more complex. We are nowhere and everywhere, we are in the space between. We are on a mental plane, a void where thoughts and interactions are not hindered by physical distance or limitations. This is a meeting of our minds, far deeper than a simple mind touch that the basic mage uses._

Fenrir allowed the entity's words to sink in and contemplated on the concept. Soon the light spoke again.

_Since the physical world is no longer a factor, let us test your abilities. I want you to attempt to alter the Plane, create something new._

Fenrir had no idea how to create something out of nothing, but wanted to learn about this mental plane. He concentrated on his own image, every detail of his physical being. His slightly angled features, his slight tan from working the docks of Teirm in the burning sun, his black hair that fell to his neck, everything he could picture clearly in his mind. He wrapped the image around his mind and narrowed his vision to that of his physical eyes.

Once he was finished, he tested his construct. He held up his ghostly hand to his line of sight. It was transparent and gave off a faint red glow, but looked surprisingly real. He mentally drew in the space beneath him until the void condensed into a smooth ebony floor.

Comfortable with the new look and feel of the void, he walked around on the black walkway, examining his handiwork. He enjoyed being able to walk instead of the unsteady floating that took place before.

_Most impressive Fenrir, you learn exceedingly fast. But you will need to be able to do more than manipulate mental space if you are to be the champion Alagaesia needs._

Fenrir turned to face the green light.

_What do you mean champion? I may possess basic knowledge of magic, but I am no champion._

The green orb released a mental sigh.

_Fenrir, you have so much more potential than you believe, handed down to you by destiny and bloodline._

_No spirit, you are mistaken. Garven was a grand mage but no better than any other mage in the Great Rebellion._

There was a moment of silence before the wisp spoke again.

_O Fenrir, I am sorry to be the one to shatter the world you thought you knew. Garven is not your father. He has been a great caretaker in your father's absence, but is not related to you by blood._

Fenrir was stunned by the entity's words. He refused to believe the lies that the spirit told.

_Surely you cannot believe that I would fall for your falsehoods. Who are you to question my bloodline?_

Once again, the being paused before it responded.

_I am your mother._

The four words hung in the air.

_N-no, my mother-_

_-Left you shortly after birth. Yes, that was I Fenrir. It pained me greatly to leave you and your sister with Garven, but it was necessary given the circumstances. After your near-death at the hands of Du Hvitr Istalri Dominia, I was forced to intervene. After consulting with your father, your real father, we decided that it was necessary to train you and your sister ourselves. You and Evalette possess rare gifts and we cannot allow you to be slain simply because of combat inexperience._

_Consulting with my father? Then he knows of us and still chose to leave us behind! You both abandoned us and you try to justify it? What, by the gods, could possibly force you and father to leave behind your own flesh and blood?_

_Fenrir your father is… a Rider._

Fenrir's rage at his parents came to a halt. Could he really be the son of a Dragon Rider?

_But, that would mean…_

The green light finished for him.

_Yes Fenrir, The Blue Rider, Eragon Shadeslayer, is your father._

The revelation shook Fenrir. The Master Rider was his father! He lost his concentration and the void around his mind shifted back to its original form.

_I understand this is a lot to take in, so we will continue training another time. For now, return to your slumber my child, and find it in yourself to forgive your father and I for leaving you and Evalette._

Fenrir's mind gradually faded out of the void and his thoughts once again ceased as he fell into a deep sleep.

Fenrir slipped into the semi-conscious world of the Void. After he had once again fashioned a body in which he was more comfortable, he called out to the green spirit, whom he still could not believe was his mother, and waited for her arrival. After a few minutes, the air before him shimmered, then cracked open to reveal the burning green orb.

_Hello Fenrir, I did not expect for you to return so soon_ the light said in a voice that sounded like wind rushing through tree branches.

Fenrir collected himself.

_Sleep has done me well, mother_ he replied in his own spectral voice.

_You have recovered well, both mentally and physically. I am sorry to say, but I was forced to return to Elesmera while you slept. One of my huntresses, Valeria, has stayed behind to protect you during your recovery. She has informed me that you will soon be healed enough to be released from this sleep. And, __Fenrir, there is good news. I have discussed it with your father and we find it will be best if you come to Elesmera. Here you can receive the necessary training and equipment to complete the task that has been asked of you._

_And what task is that?_

_To eradicate the corrupted Hvitr Istalri Dominia and restore order to the mages of Alagaesia._

Fenrir's lighthearted mood faded.

_Surely you cannot be serious mother? How can one man bring order to an entire land?_

_Your father did it. And his blood flows in your veins._

_But he is a Rider! I possess no dragon or enchanted blade, I have nothing but a basic knowledge of magic!_

_Yes, those are true, which brings us to the last good news of our meeting. There is a very special event scheduled to take place during your stay in Elesmera, Du Agaeti abr Du Alfakyn Shur'tugala._

_What is that? I've not heard of it before._

_It is the Elven name for an event that all races celebrate, set in place by the Master Rider before he left._

Fenrir tried to decipher the Elven name. The Celebration of the… he could not figure out the rest. He hoped it was nothing unpleasant, considering he would apparently be attending.

_I can see you are once again distracted, so I will let you return to your rest, _the green light spoke again. _You will awake soon, and you and your sister will travel to Elesmera with Valeria. I anxiously await your return Fenrir, please make haste. Farewell._

_Farewell Mother _Fenrir replied.

The green orb faded away, and Fenrir allowed the Void to dissipate as he sank into his last few hours of unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6: Awakening

**Update 07/16/12: fixed some spelling errors**

**Update: fixed spelling and grammar issues in last paragraphs**

**Hey guys! Finally got Chapter 6 up! Yay! I personally think this one turned out quite nice. Don't forget to review, Alert+, Favorite, etc! Hope you enjoy. Plus, I made a FaceBook Page for The Inheritance Cycle: The White Fire Chronicles. I don't expect to get many likes on it but I figured it would be cool haha. Thanks to all 700+ readers so far, it's awesome that people actually enjoy my writing XD**

Chapter 6:

Awakening

Fenrir's eyes snapped open as breath flooded through his lungs. He sat up and tried to calm his body from the shock of being conscious after so long. He slowly took control of his breathing and after some sore stretching, felt at ease back in his physical body. He looked around the shack he had been sleeping in. The three windows that dotted the rough walls were drawn shut, allowing only a minimal amount of sunlight to thread through the various cracks and gaps that littered the building. Through the darkness he could make out only vague details of the room. There were three small cots spread around the dirt floor. Cobwebs filled the empty spaces in every corner and crevice. He savored each sight, glad to be back from his slumber.

Fenrir eased his tense legs onto the floor. His boots scuffed along the dirt as he ungracefully shuffled his way to the door. The rusted hinges shrieked in protest as he forced the rotted door open. Crimson afternoon sunlight flooded in as he made his way outside. His eyes burned as they tried to adjust. He stumbled forward blindly as the blurred scenery began to focus.

There was a small fire pit a few yards from the shack, filled with faintly glowing embers. The ground was loose and sandy, spotted with half-dead grass and weeds. The air was warm and dry, and the sky was devoid of all clouds, with distant stars spread across its dull red canvas.

"Fenrir!" a familiar voice shouted.

He had just enough time to turn towards the voice before he was almost knocked over by his sister's unnecessarily tight embrace.

"Hello Evalettte. I have missed you sorely as well but could you possibly not crush me?" Fenrir said with a painful chuckle.

Evalette immediately released him.

"Oh, yes, of course. Guess you were out much longer than I was huh?" she laughed with a joyous gleam in her deep green eyes.

"Just a little, sister" he chuckled. "Did you hear from mother?" he added with a grin.

"Yes! She spoke to me while I slept. I can't wait to visit Elesmera and see her!" Evalette replied with a smile that practically split her face.

They sat by the dimming fire sharing the events that had taken place in each others absence. Each was equally filled with gasps, sympathy, amusement, and numerous other reactions at the happenings and triumphs of their sibling. After they had been adequately caught up with each others experiences, they simply sat enjoying being back together.

After some time, Fenrir heard footsteps approaching.

"Look who finally decided to wake up" the newcomer said.

Fenrir stood and turned to face the speaker. It was immediately obvious that this was Valeria, the Elven Huntress his mother had left to safeguard them during their recovery. She had the smoothly angled features of a typical Elf. Her glistening black hair was bound in a long braid that fell to the middle of her back. She had bright, piercing blue eyes that perfectly accented her pale white skin and dark hair. She had a light brown sleeveless tunic and black leggings, brought together by a light green cloth belt that wrapped around her slim waist and hung from one hip. On the other side hung a small sheath which held a beautifully crafted hunting knife. Her hands were partially concealed in fingerless leather bracers, the insides of which were worn from constant release of arrows. From her neck hung an olive green cloak and looped around all of it was a small quiver and an elegant Elven hunting bow. She looked to be no older than Evalette, but Fenrir knew that Elves did not age as humans do.

_Still, in an intimidating way, she is quite beautiful._

Fenrir caught himself and shook away his childish observation.

"You must be Valeria" he finally said.

"Indeed I am. I trust you have recovered from your rather long nap?" Valeria replied sternly.

"Aye, I have" he said slightly taken back by her serious tone.

"Good. We will depart for Elesmera at first light. By pure luck I was able to find us breakfast in this wasteland" she said as she tossed three small mouse-like creatures into a cloth bag and stuck the bag in the shack. She began to place her weapons and cloak inside as well.

"Despite your slumber, I suggest you go to sleep now. I'll not be slowing down, so if you wish to follow me to Elesmera, I suggest you rest up" she added harshly.

Fenrir could not figure out why she was being so hostile towards them, but he decided she was right. The three of them went to their respective cots inside the shack and soon Fenrir found himself giving in to natural sleep for the first time in forever.

Fenrir awoke to the sound of the quiet popping of a fire. He immediately panicked but soon realized it was only the campfire outside. He let out a sigh of relief. After slipping on his boots and packing his things, he made his way outside. The air was cooler this morning, if only slightly. A fog lay over the landscape in the early hours of the morning.

"Morning Fenrir!" Evalette called from her spot by the fire.

Fenrir sleepily smiled in response.

Valeria tossed him a freshly cooked mouse-creature from where she sat eating hers. Fenrir caught it and sat down to breakfast. After a few minutes he looked up at Valeria.

"Valeria, I thought the Elves didn't eat meat?" he inquired.

She finished chewing and gulped down the remainder of her meal.

"The Huntress's are allowed certain privileges in their line of work. While we still obey Elven customs within Elesmera, our work outside is more strenuous than other Elven warriors and we must keep up our energy by any means necessary" she replied without looking at him.

"And what exactly is the purpose of the Huntresses?" Fenrir pressed on.

"We are the elite of the Elven warriors. We are the royal guards of the queen when needed, peacemakers in the rare occasion of a disagreement among Elves, and even assassins when diplomacy fails. To put it simply, we are whatever we need to be. We are trained to handle any situation as quickly and cleanly as possible" she replied, this time looking him in the eye, clearly annoyed at his questioning.

Fenrir made a mental note not to anger the Huntresses.

"Unless the grand inquisition has any more questions, I suggest we gather our things and depart" Valeria said as she stood and shoved her remaining equipment into her bag. Clearly it was more than a suggestion.

Fenrir and Evalette took the hint and gathered their things. Within a half hour they were packed and set out towards the towering forests of Du Weldenvarden. Valeria kept them moving at a breakneck pace. They eventually got out of the sandy outskirts of the Hadarac Desert and back out onto the grassy plains that dominated the Alagaesian landscape. They rested for only a few hours each night, and within two weeks they could make out the edge of the massive tree line in the distance. Thanks to Valeria's insistence on such a swift pace, they made it the forest in another two weeks. Immediately Fenrir could feel the layers of wards that surrounded the woods, spells thousands of years old that still stood their ground against any foe who might harm the Elven homeland. Fenrir had stayed in part of Du Weldenvarden before in his travels, but the huge trees he had seen dwarfed in comparison to the ancient Pines that surrounded Elesmera.

As they approached, two Elves stepped out from the forest. They seemed to have come out of the trees themselves. After what Fenrir thought was a brief Telepathic conversation between the Elves and Valeria, they stepped aside and Valeria led Fenrir and Evalette into the forest. He had no idea how Valeria knew where she was going, the untamed woods were so thick and looked the same in every direction. He managed to suppress his claustrophobia however, and in another two weeks of stomping through the dense underbrush, the forest opened up into a clearing. Another group of Elves approached them, this time four warriors clad in very intimidating Elven plate mail. While the elves preferred not to constrict their amazing speed and agility, that did not mean they were not fearsome in heavy armor. After another silent exchange with Valeria, the four Elves stepped back and turned towards the opposite end of the clearing. After some ominous murmuring, they stepped back into the forest from whence they came, and the air before Fenrir shimmered. The end of the clearing in front of them slowly blurred and shifted until the veil cleared.

Behind where the illusion had been now lay the Elven city of Elesmera.


	7. Chapter 7: Elesmera

**Finally finished it! I'm super sorry it took so long, but I was out of town over spring break and couln't find the time to work on it. It's also not as long as some of the other chapters, but it was a good stopping point and I know you guys are probably growing impatient, I'm like two weeks late :(**

**Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to review!**

Chapter 7:

Elesmera

Fenrir followed Valeria through Elesmera, amazed at the natural beauty of the Elven city. The Elves' houses were grown into the massive pines, and the thick branches stretched and intertwined with each other to form bridges from tree to tree. He heard Evalette gasping with wonder beside him. Though he was more reserved, he too was elated to be here.

_Home._

The word crossed his mind and felt strangely fitting. After all, they were part Elf.

_Actually, I suppose we are three quarters Elven, considering Father was a Halfling and mother was pure Elven._

Fenrir silently laughed to himself at his strange lineage. Halflings were rare as it was, and as far as he knew, this was the first time a Halfling and an Elf had been together. Fenrir realized he didn't even know who his mother was. She was an Elf, he knew that much.

_Unless the rumors at The Blue Rider were true…_

Thinking back to the Tavern in Teirm, he slowly started to believe the old drunks. He turned to Evalette. She didn't know who mother was. Fenrir thought it would be rude to break the silence as Valeria led them through the city, so he tried to speak with Evalette through his mind. He slowly reached out till he felt her consciousness.

_Evalette._

He saw her grow wide-eyed at the voice in her head, then looked at him.

_Fenrir?_

_Yes Sister. I believe I know who mother is._

_Really? Who?_

_I've heard tales of a romance between Eragon Shadeslayer, our father, and Arya Shadeslayer, the Elven Queen. If they were true… the Queen is mother._

Evalette silently gasped at his theory.

_Then that means we are Elven royalty!_

"No, it doesn't"

Fenrir and Evalette jumped at Valeria's remark.

"How did you-" Fenrir stuttered.

"Oh, please, you two were practically shouting your thoughts. Half of Alagaesia could probably hear you. Have neither of you ever had any training at all?" Valeria said, interrupting Fenrir's stunned question.

"It is a little difficult to practice magic in a land controlled by power-hungry mage-hunters. Something you wouldn't understand here in your secluded city" Fenrir replied sternly. He hadn't meant to be rude, but his annoyance with her constant condescending tone had overcome any manners.

Valeria seemed to be caught off guard by his sudden hostility, but regained her uncaring attitude quickly.

"I apologize Valeria, I did not mean to-"

"No need Rider-Son. In all honesty, I'm glad to find out you have enough backbone to defend yourself" Valeria said, raising her hand as she cut off his apology.

Fenrir was taken back by the compliment, however small it was. His mood lightened a bit, proud to have won even slight respect from Valeria. He tried to continue their conversation.

"Will we learn how to control our thoughts during our training here?" he asked.

"I have not the slightest clue what your training will consist of Rider-Son, though I suspect that will be part of it" Valeria replied.

"Why do you keep calling me Rider-Son? I have a name you know" Fenrir asked, forced to change topics because of his annoyance. Why could she not just call him by his name?

"No, Rider-Son, you do not have a name. Neither of you do. Not yet. Right now, you have not shown anything worthy of recognition besides your bloodline. Others may treat you with respect, but I will not bow to your every whim simply because your father was a hero. Eragon is now a name revered among every race of Alagaesia, but in my eyes, he lost that respect when he left us on his fool's errand" Valeria spat back at him. She had whipped around to face him, pointing fingers and gesturing wildly during her rant. She leaned towards him so close he could swear he could feel her words ripping through his skin. Her furious eyes were level with his, sending shivers down his spine.

Fenrir was left reeling in the wake of her outburst. Obviously this was a very sensitive subject. Even he himself had questioned why Eragon had left Alagaesia, but that alone could not possibly fuel that kind of hate. He wondered what deeper reason she had for her anger, but dared not ask. In truth, he was terrified of her when she was angry.

They continued walking, now completely silent. In his peripheral vision, Fenrir noticed Evalette sending him sympathetic glances, but he didn't acknowledge her.

Soon they reached a large ornate building. Somehow it looked even older than the ancient Elven homes he had seen thus far. Thick layers of vines and roots crept along its aging walls.

Valeria pointed them towards the wide doorway.

"The Queen is waiting inside. Best not to keep mommy waiting" she hissed at them then turned and left without another word.

Once she was out of sight, Evalette turned to him.

"I don't know about you brother, but she frightens me" she said half-jokingly.

"Are you kidding? She terrifies me" he replied, letting out a quick laugh.

"I suppose this is it. Time to meet her" Fenrir continued.

Evalette nodded and they slowly entered the ancient building. Inside, the walls were lit with some kind of magic lanterns. They cast an eerie blue glow on the ornate rugs that covered the floor. There were many pictures on the walls, but they looked different than any paintings he had seen before. _Must be an Elven art._ As they moved farther into the room, they saw that the building had a long court section on the right of them. At the end there was a slightly raised platform on which sat a single throne. It was not large but was covered in thousands of carvings and designs. Then he finally noticed the woman sitting on it. At first he was confused, he had thought the Queen of the Elves would be all about presentation, but the woman wore only a simple white dress, with a small crown as her only symbol of office. The crown was bright silver with emeralds inset in the elaborate loops and twists that made up the rim. Her dress had a low collar and around her waist was a light green sash with a small silver buckle in the center. She wore white lace gloves that intertwined up to her elbows. She sat leaning on the armrest of the throne, with the look of someone who is beyond bored, her legs crossed and one foot tapping on the stone tile floor. Then she noticed them, and she sat up and smiled. Fenrir couldn't whether she was genuinely glad to see them or she was just trying to look like a proper Queen.

As they approached, Fenrir and Evalette glanced at each other, mutually unsure how to greet the Queen of the Elves. They both decided on the general approach to any royalty and they simply bowed, kneeling slightly.

After a few seconds, the Queen chuckled slightly.

"Oh, please, stand up. I will not have my children, the son and daughter of the Master Rider himself, bowing to me" she spoke in the same voice Fenrir had heard before, soothing yet with a slight roughness to it, no doubt from screaming orders in the heat of battle during the Great Rebellion.

They slowly rose, utterly confused on how to act in her presence. The Queen stood from her throne and walked towards them. As she got closer, Fenrir noticed she was only slightly taller than him, and there were almost no signs of age on her still-youthful face. Then she threw her arms around them both and hugged them.

"Welcome home" she said softly. It almost sounded like she was crying, but he did not look to see. Fenrir and Evalette soon both let the tears fall as they felt the embrace of someone they never knew they missed so much.


	8. Chapter 8: Preperations

**Hello! My sincerest apologies for letting this story die out, it was not intentional. After exactly two months, I am back and will be hard at work on this, and possibly others. Over my absence, I bought a new laptop, so now I should be able to write more often. Sadly, most of my readers have probably moved on, but for any of you that have still been waiting, thank you and I will try not to let even college classes get in the way of my love for writing. Please understand how quickly one's schedule can fill up. Another chapter will be coming as soon as possible. Happy reading!**

**At long last, I have completed it! Due to Final Exam studying, I had very little time to work on it :( but it's finally done, so hopefully you guys hav'nt given up on me! Thank you for your patience, I really am trying to get these published faster, but it's hard to work with my current schedule. Hopefully I'll have another chapter ready reasonably soon. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8:

Preperations

At long last, Queen Arya released them. Her gaze shifted between them, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Please, forgive me" she chuckled, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I've long awaited this day when we could properly meet" she continued with a loving smile.

A male Elf entered the room. He wore a blue tunic with gold trim. He had baggy black silk pants which tucked into his unnaturally clean leather boots. He had short black hair with a small braid hanging from the left side. It was ringed in brightly polished silver, so Fenrir assumed this was maybe a symbol of office.

"Forgive me my Queen" he stuttered, "I was not aware you had guests".

"It is fine Naethus, what do you require?" Queen Arya replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"There are preparations for the Celebration which require your guidance" Naethus replied in a very formal, business-like tone. Fenrir found him very boring.

_He must be the Elven equivalent of a Steward._

"Ah, yes, the Celebration. Fenrir, Evalette, would you mind walking with me? It has come to my attention that I have yet to explain Du Agaeti abr Du Alfakyn Shur'tugala" the Queen said, turning her attention back to them.

Fenrir and Evalette both nodded, interested to hear what this Elven tradition had to do with them.

The Queen turned to Naethus once again.

"Naethus, I would like you to be the first to properly meet our new arrivals. These are Fenrir and Evalette, my children and son and daughter of the Master Rider" she said.

Naethus gasped and immediately bowed.

"Forgive me, I was not aware, I-"

"Stop" Fenrir interrupted his stuttering. He had thought of what Valeria had said, about them having to earn their respect through their accomplishments, not simply their bloodline.

"We are not royalty; you need not bow to us. We have done nothing to earn this" he continued. The Queen and Naethus were absolutely stunned.

"But your father and mother are-" Naethus attempted to cut in.

"We are well aware of their accomplishments, but we are not them. If it is all the same to you, I would prefer to receive this kind of attention only after I have earned it" he interrupted again.

Evalette nodded in agreement beside him.

"My brother is right, we will make a name for ourselves through our own victories, and rest assured there will be many" she added.

After a moment, the Queen smiled.

"I am sure you will, but first let us tend to the preparations for the Celebration" she spoke soothingly.

Naethus led the Queen out of the palace, with Fenrir and Evalette following close behind. They walked through the Elven city until they came to a large clearing. All along the forest edge, Elves were humming and singing their mesmerizing spells, shaping beautiful carvings and patterns into the trees. In the center of the clearing was a long crescent-shaped stone table. The fact that the Elves had made it of stone at all meant they must want it to last a very long time. Some of the Elves had also begun placing were-lights around the clearing as the sun began its descent.

"A few things that require your insight, my Queen" Naethus began.

He led them to an Elf on the edge of the forest. She was surrounded by piles of ribbons and banners of dozens of different colors.

The Elf bowed as the Queen approached. "My Queen, what would you suggest be the color this year?" she asked, motioning towards the various colors in the piles.

Queen Arya browsed through the collection slowly.

"Evalette, what do you think? Surely you have an eye for beauty if you've managed to keep yourself looking presentable while fleeing across Alagaesia" she chuckled quietly.

Fenrir noticed Evalette blush slightly. In all honesty, he had thought of it himself. How she managed to keep herself nice while he was burnt and scarred was beyond him.

He watched his sister peruse the selection. After a few moments she stopped at one design in particular.

"What about this one?" she asked.

The banner she had pointed out was white with a black border. In the center was a black flame. The ribbons that accompanied it were of a similar design, white with a black border, with a twisting black design winding its way across.

Queen Arya walked over to her daughter and examined the pattern. After a moment she nodded.

"Yes, I agree. We've never had black or white as our Celebration colors" she said, looking first to the Elven artisan then to Evalette.

"If I may ask" Fenrir broke in, "what is this Celebration for?"

He immediately realized how stupid he must sound to the other Elves, but luckily the artisan had already left to spread word of the Queen's decision.

The Queen laughed.

"Well, I suppose you've waited long enough" she began, "Du Agaeti abr Du Alfakyn Shur'tugala literally means The Celebration of The Elven Dragonriders. Each race has its own version, all set in place by your father before he left. Every five years, your father has one of his Riders fly a collection of eggs across the sea to us in Ellesmera, then we distribute them to their assigned races. Any eggs that fail to find their Rider within their first assigned race are rotated to the next race. If any eggs go through all races without finding a Rider, they are sent back to the Master Rider where they will remain until the next cycle"

Fenrir stopped to take it all in. then he realized why they were here.

"We are candidates in the celebration?" he asked, trying to hide his excitement.

"Yes, you and Evalette will be participating. It will be interesting to see how your destiny plays out" Queen Arya replied, smiling at each of them.

Fenrir and Evalette grinned at each other with childish joy. The Queen laughed at their excitement.

"If you follow me, I will show you to your rooms. You will need to get some sleep, for tomorrow night, your lives could become much more interesting" Queen Arya said enthusiastically.

They followed her to their respective rooms, and eventually force themselves to go to sleep despite their anticipation of the following night.


	9. Chapter 9: The Celebration: Part 1

**Update: I've been meaning to post this. There is now an Inheritance Cycle: The White Fire Chronicles FaceBook page! Unfortunately, you will have to search for it, apparently it doesnt display the link when I post it.**

**At long last, chapter 9 is here! If you havn't already, be sure to read the new note at the top of chapter 8. Again, my apologies for my two month absence. I put my all into this chapter, and I think it is one of the best, as well as one of the longest. Happy reading and please Review! Your comments help shape this story!**

Chapter 9:

The Celebration: Part 1

Fenrir woke groggily from his deep sleep. He slowly became aware of movement in the room and turned to find Evalette scavenging through what few complete outfits she had brought with her from home.

"Sister, you are aware that the celebration isn't until tonight aren't you?" Fenrir mumbled in her general direction. He wanted her to be quiet but he also didn't want to completely wake up to tell her.

"Yes, I am well aware of that, thank you. But are you aware that we slept until almost noon?" she replied, taking only a quick pause before returning to her furious search for something decent to wear.

_How can she be so obsessed with looking nice?_

After a moment of debating whether to spend the rest of the day in the Elven bed, he finally delegated to raise himself from its warm embrace.

_What do they make these with? It is doubtful the Elves would use feathers, and it is much too comfortable to be straw._

He made a mental note to inquire about the fantastic sleeping space before the day's end.

With a nervous knock, Naethus slowly entered the room. He took in the scene of the two just waking at this hour and tried to hide an irritated sigh.

"Pardon me if I woke you, but the Queen has requested that you come with me to meet her. I believe she wishes to brief you on the customary proceedings of the Celebration" he said, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

Fenrir lazily sat up and eyed the Elf who had so rudely ruined any chance of going back to sleep.

"Naethus, what exactly is your position? You seem to handle pretty much everything around here" Fenrir asked, throwing on the same tunic he had worn the day before.

"If you must know, I am the Queen's Taskman. And to answer your next question, a Taskman is simply a glorified title for servant. I tend to the things which the Queen has no time for. That includes, for instance, your over-sleeping and questions" Naethus replied, clearly annoyed.

Fenrir didn't appreciate the harsh reply, but decided not to pursue the topic. He glanced at Evalette, who had finally settled on a short olive green dress, which hung to her knees, revealing the unladylike boots she wore beneath.

"We are ready to leave when you are, Taskman" Fenrir said as he walked towards the door.

Naethus simply nodded and led them out the door. They descended the thick wood staircase that spiraled the tree that held their room. Once on the forest floor, they made their way through the paths that laced the Elven city until they reached the Palace. The two guards at the entrance stepped aside as Naethus drew close, and they entered the ornate Elven building to find the Queen waiting for them.

"Ah, thank you for retrieving them Naethus. I will take them with me now. You may do as you wish until I have need of you once more" the Queen said as she guided Fenrir and Evalette towards a hallway on the far side of the room.

Naethus bowed and retreated outside. Queen Arya led the two of them down the hallway and into what looked to be a dressing room. Various robes, dresses, tunics, and other styles of clothing hung upon the walls and adorned wooden hangers throughout the room.

"You two may look around and find something you like for tonight's Celebration. I'm sure the clothes you are wearing now were fine when you were traveling across Alagaesia, but I would hope the son and daughter of the Elven Queen could make themselves a little more refined for such an occasion" the Queen spoke as she guided them through the collection.

"Evalette, would you like me to accompany you? I have some personal favorites I could show you" she continued, turning to Evalette.

Evalette simply smiled and nodded, doing a relatively poor job of masking her joy for mother-daughter time.

"Fenrir, I trust you can find something decent" Queen Arya called back as she walked away with Evalette.

_Well, it's clear who the favorite is._

Fenrir began browsing through the selection. He waded his way through extravagant tunics and puffed up doublets, all the while thinking how ridiculous all of it looked. A few items were appealing enough to try on, but after looking himself over, each time he hung them back up, embarrassed to have been wearing such foolish clothes. Finally, near the back of the room, he found something that didn't make him look like a court jester. He slipped it on and admired himself in a nearby mirror. It was a sleeveless black shirt which fit him perfectly. It had a tall collar, left open in the front, which almost reached his chin-length hair. The front was covered in ornate designs that looked like wisps of smoke, and the shoulders were slightly pointed. Intrigued by the style, Fenrir soon located the other pieces to the outfit and put them on as well. The pants were black as well, with the same smoky design on the sides. They tucked loosely into the gray cuffed boots, and bound at the waist with an incredibly detailed belt. It had small bits of Onyx spread throughout the intricate loops and curves, blurring the seam between the shirt and pants. His own naturally dark features accented the outfit perfectly and to his great surprise, he actually liked it.

_Is this how Evalette feels in every dress she wears?_

Fenrir found a few bracelets, a necklace, and some gloves that evidently were intended to be worn with the outfit but decided that was too much.

Proud of his find, he began making his way back through the room in search of Evalette and Queen Arya. After what seemed like forever, he heard someone approaching from behind him. He turned to find Evalette and the Queen, and they too had found something for the night.

The Queen was dressed in a shimmering green dress. It had white ribbons criss-crossing up from the bottom and meeting in a sash around her waist, complete with an emerald set in the center. Transparent sheets of green-tinted silk loosely draped around each of her arms, on which also lay beautiful gold chain bracelets. She wore an intricate pair of golden earrings and a beaded necklace. She truly looked like an Elven Queen, in every way.

Next Fenrir's attention drew to his sister, who was adorned in startlingly bright white. Her dress stopped just below her shoulders and triangular cutouts on each side of her stomach, revealing her pale bare skin which almost matched the color of the dress. The bottom half of her dress had hundreds of small designs cut out of it, making her look as if she were wearing a giant snowflake. She wore long white gloves that covered most of her arms, and sparkling silver earrings with sapphire inlays. Silver bracelets hung on her wrists and a silver necklace adorned her neck.

Once he had gathered his thoughts again, he realized they were staring at him with just as much surprise.

"Well, well. I never expected you could actually dress yourself Fenrir" the Queen said, still analyzing his choice of attire.

"Nor I" Evalette added with a chuckle of disbelief.

"It was a surprise to me as well" Fenrir laughed in reply as he looked over his outfit again.

"And I had not expected you two to look quite nice either" Fenrir added quickly, realizing he had yet to complement their appearance. Although in all honesty, it wasn't all that surprising that the women could dress themselves.

Naethus walked into the room.

_This man is an interruption on two legs._

"My Queen, my apologies, the Celebration will be starting shortly. It is advised that you be there before guests begin arriving" Naethus spoke quickly, somewhat out of breath. Probably from the run over here.

"We were just about to leave, Naethus, thank you" Queen Arya replied, and she started towards the hallway, with Fenrir and Evalette following close behind.

They made their way down the trails to the large clearing that was to hold the celebration. Already the area was beginning to fill with Elves. They followed Queen Arya to her spot overlooking the large stone table. The Queen took her seat and began greeting the other Elves as they passed by. Although Evalette seemed to be content socializing with the other Elves with the Queen, Fenrir quickly grew bored and went off to walk around the Celebration area.

As he wandered around, he noticed how much the Elves put into decorations. The entire tree-line was adorned in ribbons and banners. Were-lights floated above the party, lighting the clearing with an eerie glow.

"Quite a Celebration isn't it?" someone asked from behind him.

Fenrir turned to find Valeria making her way towards him from a nearby group of Elves, obviously deep in conversation.

Fenrir was shocked by the difference in her appearance since he last saw her. She wore a laced black vest that hung only slightly below her arms, with long, flowing loose sleeves. Underneath the lace she wore a white corset. She had on a black skirt that hung just above her knees and heels with straps lacing their way just below the knee. She had a collection of silver and black necklaces and bracelets and her hair was bound in a ponytail with a silver ribbon.

In short, she was stunning.

"Oh, I've seen better" Fenrir replied jokingly, suddenly in a great mood.

"It gets better, don't worry" Valeria said with a quick smile.

_What happened to the rude, judgmental Valeria I met before?_

"Thanks to you, it already has" Fenrir replied. And then realized what he had just said.

_What am I doing?_

Valeria laughed.

"I'm in a good mood, so I won't kill you for that this time" Valeria said, still laughing a little.

_Wow, I'm still alive! I should back down now while I'm ahead._

Somewhere nearby, an Elven musician began playing an exotic stringed instrument. Each pluck of the strings seemed to radiate joy, no doubt being enhanced by Elven magic.

_Nope, I won't do it. I'm stopping while I'm safe._

As Fenrir struggled with his feelings, Valeria seemed to know what he was thinking.

She laughed and held out her hand.

"Fenrir, would you like to dance?" she asked with an amused smile.

Fenrir almost fainted at her question. Valeria chuckled again and grabbed his hand. Every nerve in his hand went crazy at her touch. She led him towards an open area near the Elven musician. Fenrir scrambled to gather his thoughts.

_Come on, don't waste this chance._

He cleared his rampaging thoughts and smiled back at her. He slowly placed his hand on her waist and took her other hand in his. Time ceased as they slowly danced for what seemed like an eternity. He was in absolute bliss, and never wanted it to end.

By now, his hands had dropped to her waist and she had rested her head on his shoulder. And then he smelled it. Valeria had sighed and on her breath there was a sweet, warm, intoxicating smell. Fenrir opened his eyes and looked around. As he suspected, he saw a few other Elves with small glasses of a red liquid.

Fenrir's heart sank.

"Valeria?" he asked quietly.

She sat up slowly.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Are there… drinks at this celebration?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course there are, it wouldn't be a proper celebration otherwise. They are quite good. Have you tried them?" she replied, oblivious that she was confirming Fenrir's nightmare.

"No" he replied with a mumble.

He released her and walked off into the crowd. He was vaguely aware of Valeria calling to him but he did not acknowledge her. As he attempted to lose himself in the crowd of Elves, a booming, echoing voice resonated throughout the clearing.

"Attention Alfakyn. The Selection Ceremony will be beginning shortly" the voice said.

The Elves broke out into a cheer and began moving in a circle around the stone table.

_More disappointment on the way probably._


	10. Chapter 10: The Celebration: Part 2

**Now introducing Part 2 of The Celebration! Hope you enjoy it! Also, if anyone thinks they could draw any of the characters, please PM me! I'd like to update some pics, maybe make a better Cover photo. Anyway, happy reading and, as always, please review!**

Chapter 10:

The Celebration: Part 2

Fenrir slowly made his way back to the Queen's side. He was in a terrible mood now, but needed to know what was going on. Snaking his way through the thickly crowded Elves, he eventually found the Queen, thanks to Evalette's bright white dress.

"Where have you been? The Ceremony is about to start" Evalette scolded him.

"Just catching up with Valeria" Fenrir replied.

Any attempt to hide his feelings was a complete failure, and Evalette was clearly aware that something was bothering him. Luckily, Queen Arya realized he had arrived and impatiently motioned him over to her, saving Fenrir the discomfort of explaining his emotions to Evalette.

"Fenrir, I hope you enjoyed your time wandering around. Thanks to your disappearance, you have only a few minutes to become acquainted with the process of the Ceremony" the Queen quietly fussed at him, obviously at her wit's end.

"I will have to give you the simplest possible directions, but rest assured, you will be taught a complete lesson on the origins and details of the Ceremony another time" she continued.

The Queen then proceeded to drown him in instructions. Where to stand, where to go, what to say, how to act, every single motion he would have to take. The amount of manners and rules for one Ceremony was staggering. To make matters even more difficult, Fenrir was still distracted by Valeria's actions, so by the end of the lecture, he was still confused on what he would have to do. Meanwhile, Evalette seemed quite confident, so he decided to simply follow everything she did.

Soon after the Queen had finished her lecture, one side of the mob of Elves began to part. Fenrir and Evalette drew closer to see what was going on, and saw an old Elven woman emerge from the gap. She wore an ornate blue robe that sparkled in the were-light's glow. Behind her followed five younger Elves carrying large eggs.

_Dragon eggs._

Fenrir and Evalette gasped at the sight. The first egg was a deep purple, with a pearlescent shimmer. The second was as black as the night sky. The third was a strange green with yellow speckled about its shell. The fourth was bright white, with a faint blue sparkle to it. The last egg was a rusty brown color, definitely the least beautiful of the five.

The Elven egg-bearers lined up alongside the stone table, then without a word they turned and placed their respective eggs on the table in perfect unison. Fenrir could now see that there were shallow dents in the table to hold the eggs up straight.

Once the Elves had placed their cargo on the table, they turned and retreated the way they entered. The entire crowd remained eerily silent, even the forest itself was devoid of all the usual wild sounds, as if every animal and insect in the area knew of the reverence of the moment.

_Which is entirely possible with Elves._

A few minutes passed and Fenrir began to wonder if there was anything more to the ceremony. Just as he was about to go mad from the silence, the Queen stood from her throne.

"The Chosen may step forth" she spoke in a solemn tone that he had not heard her use before.

_But how do we know who is Chosen?_

And then Fenrir realized he was walking. He hadn't thought of the movement at all, and yet he found himself pulled towards the stone table. He looked around in panic to find that Evalette was walking with him as well, though she seemed much less confused.

_Probably something I missed in the lecture._

He turned to see three other Elves emerging from the crowd. And among them was Valeria.

_Just my luck._

She seemed sober now, probably the working of a quick spell. It didn't make a difference to Fenrir as the damage was already done, but at least she wouldn't make a drunken fool of herself in front of the entire Elven population.

In a few moments, he found himself and the other Chosen lined up at one side of the table.

"Begin" the Queen said in her ceremonial voice.

The first Elf in line, a young male, walked forward. He passed by each egg slowly, until he reached the rusty brown one. As he passed by, it shimmered and rumbled. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face the egg. Fenrir saw him take a nervous gulp of air as he slowly reached out his right hand and placed it on the egg. There was a blinding explosion of light between his palm and the egg, and then he collapsed.

Two of the Egg-bearers walked into the area again and dragged the young elf away, his hand still glowing, and carried the egg away as well.

"Next" the Queen spoke again once they had removed the unconscious Elf.

The next Elf in line, a young woman, stepped forward. She proceeded slowly in the same manner, this time making it to the green egg. The egg shimmered just as the first, and the Elf hesitated before turning to face it. She looked to be on the edge of tears as she reached towards the egg. At her touch, the same lightning flash as before blurred Fenrir's eyes momentarily. She collapsed with an unfinished gasp, and the Egg-bearers removed her and the egg as well.

The Queen issued her request for the next Chosen and Valeria began to step forward. Fenrir watched with concern, though tried to make himself look disinterested in case she looked his way. She made her way towards the eggs with an air of confidence; once again back to the Valeria that Fenrir had first met. She had not made it far before the first egg, the pearlescent purple one, began shimmering and shaking. Fenrir noticed her lips part in a tiny smile. She reached her hand out until it made contact with the smooth shell, and the flash of light blinded him again.

Once he could see again, he watched the Egg-bearers return to take Valeria and her egg away. Despite his attempts to maintain his gloomy mood so she would know what she had done, he couldn't help but feel joy for her.

"Next" the Queen interrupted his thoughts. Her voice seemed slightly different. Which made sense because the only person left in front of Fenrir was…

_Evalette._

He watched his sister nervously step forward. Her humanity was obvious in her less-than-graceful walk towards the eggs. Fenrir could see her visibly shaking as she slowly crept past the black egg. Nothing happened, and both Fenrir and Evalette released a simultaneous sigh. Whether it was a sigh of relief or disappointment, he honestly didn't know.

Evalette stopped for a split-second but continued on. Within a few seconds they were both startled by a quick rumble and sparkle, emanating from the white egg. Evalette cautiously turned to face the egg and, after a moment of hesitation, reached a furiously shaking hand to touch the gleaming shell. A brilliant white light ignited as her palm met the shell, and Fenrir opened his eyes to find the Egg-bearers moving his sister's limp body from the scene.

Fenrir glanced to Queen Arya, and caught a fleeting glimpse of the shimmer of a tear leaving her eye.

"Next" the Queen spoke quickly, trying to hide the tone of choked back tears.

Fenrir took a hopeful glance forward, wishing there were someone else before him, but he was the last of the five. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, attempting to keep calm, despite his anxiety. He took an unsure step forward. It was either the deep black egg or none. His steps slowed as he inched closer to the egg, the idea of possibly becoming a Dragon Rider fluttering around his stomach. With a final step, Fenrir passed by the twilight egg and… nothing. The egg sat perfectly still, its shell still a bottomless pit of black with no sign of a shimmer or sparkle.

Fenrir gasped in disbelief. It had to be him. There was no one left. He took a step back and passed by it again. The egg remained mockingly motionless. Tears threatened to escape his eyes as he stared at the egg that he now despised. He looked back to the Queen. Genuine sympathy and pity covered her face. He darted his gaze around and saw the Egg-Bearers beginning to move in to remove the unclaimed egg. Rage filled Fenrir's vision. Rage at the egg. He turned towards it and glared hatefully at the motionless shadow. He banged a fist on the stone table and heard the Egg-Bearers quicken their pace.

_You may not choose me, but I have chosen you._

Fenrir reached towards the egg. A mob of hands grabbed at him. The Egg-Bearers were attempting to drag him away.

He yelled "Vaetna Aptr" and a burst of wind pushed the Egg-Bearers back a few feet. They quickly recovered from the surprise spell and closed in on him again. As they reached for him, Fenrir threw both hands out towards the egg.

His palms connected with each side of the midnight black egg.

His vision faded.

A paralyzing bolt of energy darted up his arms and burned through his body. Colors flashed across his blank vision as his mind tried to keep up with the bursts of energy bolting through his brain. He was distantly aware of Mother calling his name.

_Mother._

As he lay paralyzed and burning, unable to move or speak other than sporadic twitches, he finally gave in to looking at her that way. Unsure of his fate, he allowed himself to see the Queen as his mother, scared to die without one. He wasn't sure if this was right. Maybe he was dying from touching an egg that was not his?

Through his fried nerves, he felt her grasp his hand. She was worried. This defiantly was not how the Selection was supposed to be.

He felt tears escape his blinded eyes. Or maybe blood.

His consciousness slipped from his reach, and he faded into oblivion to a strange sound. He couldn't tell if it came from outside or in his head, but it was frightening, and yet, familiar.

Resonating within his mind was the sound of a low growl.


	11. Chapter 11: Rebirth

**ATTENTION ALL READERS: Here is your chance to make a major contribution to this story! PM me or post a review with your ideas on DRAGON NAMES! You can help decide the names of Fenrir and Evalette's dragons! The release of Chapter 12 will be delayed so I can hear your ideas! Hope to hear from you soon!**

**Went ahead and posted this chapter even though Chapter 10 was just last night. Also went back and removed a small storyline error in Chapter 5. The next chapter could be slightly delayed, depending on my schedule this week, but I will try to get it posted quickly (without sacrificing quality of course). As usual, please review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 11:

Rebirth

_Fenrir._

His consciousness stirred.

_Fenrir._

_Who?_

_Wake up._

_Where am I?_

_Wake up Fenrir._

Fenrir's consciousness slowly emerged, like breaking the surface of water. He tried to speak.

"Who's… Who's there?"

He felt a hand placed in his.

"It is I Fenrir, Arya. It's Mother" a familiar voice spoke soothingly.

He attempted to open his eyes. It was still black. He reached for his face and his mother held him down.

"Fenrir, stop. You are blindfolded. At the ceremony, something… we aren't sure what exactly happened. Your actions were… no one has ever reacted like you did. The egg's magic ravaged your body. There was severe damage, but our best mages have been hard at work on you while you've been asleep" she explained slowly, letting each word soak in before continuing.

Fenrir felt his heart sink.

"Am I… blind?" he asked dryly.

He heard his mother sniffle quietly.

"Yes. Some of our mages think it's only temporary, though they couldn't say how long it would take for you to recover" she replied.

Fenrir felt he would be crying if he could.

"Is there anything else wrong with me?" he asked nervously.

"Your physical appearance is… different. At first, the mages healing thought they were using the wrong spell but your body naturally changed this way" she replied.

Fenrir pictured himself as some hideous, grotesque monster.

"I'm some sort of beast now?" he asked, choking back tears.

"No, no, Fenrir" his mother spoke as she gently embraced him.

"You… you look like an Elf" she continued with faint joy.

Fenrir gasped.

"You've gone through a change much like your father did during his visit here. Only, this time it seems… natural. When you and your sister were born, we placed spells on each of you to ensure that your Elven lineage would not be noticed while you lived a human life. But whatever ancient magic you unleashed on yourself, it went farther than merely undoing our spells. Despite your… sight, you are in peak physical condition, even among Elves. You still don't have the decades of training and experience that other Elves have, but you have great potential" she continued almost excited.

Fenrir smiled. While he mourned the loss of his sight, the idea that he was a match for an Elf was intriguing.

His thoughts switched back to what his mother had said.

"Where is Evalette? Is she alright?" he asked.

"Yes, your sister is fine. Her selection was more natural. We've been keeping watch over her as well however. There have been slight changes in her appearance as well, but it's been more gradual" his mother replied.

Fenrir nodded, content with the answer. Despite his better judgment, he decided to ask about someone else.

"And Valeria? Where is she?" he asked.

His mother paused, seemingly confused as to why he would ask about her.

"She is fine. She is completely normal for an ordinary Rider. She is beginning to wake too. I fear she and your sister, as well as the other two, whom you've yet to formally meet, will be able to begin their studies earlier than you. But I promise you, as soon as you are well, we will get you caught up with their lessons" she reassured him.

"No, I want to be with them" Fenrir said firmly.

"Fenrir, you can't…" his mother began.

"Please, do not say I can't. You just told me I had the physical advantage of even the best Elves. Sight or no sight, I won't let others begin training while I lay here helpless" he spoke with determination.

His mother sighed.

"You are as stubborn as your father. Very well. The studies are scheduled to begin in a week's time. We have until then to get you back on your feet. Our healers repaired all internal damage, but some basic functions may need to be relearned. Walking will be a struggle at first probably, but if you are determined to attend the studies on schedule, we will do our best to help you" his mother said, clearly too tired to argue the matter. Fenrir suspected she had been by his bedside for quite a while.

Fenrir relaxed as she accepted his wish. He stared upward into the darkness, and was reminded of why he was here.

"What of the dragon?" he asked.

"The egg hatched and the dragon is fine. He refuses to speak with anyone however. Indeed, he has not moved at all from his space in the Hatchery. He will occasionally glance at a passing visitor but has not done much else" she replied, a concerned tone in her voice.

Fenrir lay in silent thought for a few minutes.

"Well, I have put off my other duties for as long as I can. If you are beginning to feel better, I will leave you be for a while. You should rest. I will return tomorrow and we can begin your recovery if you still wish" she said slowly, savoring the last few minutes before she left.

After a moment, she stood and kissed his forehead before leaving the room. Fenrir listened to her footsteps descend the stairs until he could not hear her anymore.

He let out a sigh and settled down into his pillow. He waited for sleep to overtake him as he came to terms with everything that had happened.

Fenrir fell in and out of sleep throughout the following day. At one point he heard his mother in the room, but she did not wake him.

"Sleep Fenrir, we will begin only when you are rested" she whispered to him soothingly.

The warmth of sunlight upon his skin faded slowly throughout the day until he woke to the chill of the night air drifting through the room. He shivered a little and felt around for the blanket, unable to drift back into sleep with the cool air surrounding him.

Someone gently grasped his hand and guided it to the edge of the blanket. He pulled it up over himself and relaxed into its warmth.

"Who is there?" he asked, wishing to thank whoever had just helped him.

He assumed it was the Queen again but decided it would be awkward if he was wrong.

"It is I" a voice whispered quietly.

Fenrir struggled to recall whose voice it was.

_Valeria._

"Valeria? Thank you for your assistance but… why are you here?" he asked, puzzled, and a bit envious that she was already awake and fully recovered.

"The Queen visited me yesterday afternoon. She told me about what happened to you. I came to see for myself" she whispered into the still night air.

"Oh" was all he could reply.

"I also wanted to apologize. I had foolishly hoped that you would be asleep still, it would be easier for me, but I suppose I will have to say it to your face" she said with a quiet chuckle.

"Apologize?" Fenrir asked.

"Yes. I realized that there was a… misunderstanding between us during the ceremony. During my merriment I may have led you to believe that there was some… attraction. While I was simply in celebration, I understand that you may have perceived my sudden change of mood to be a romantic gesture, and I apologize for leading your emotions astray" she continued in an emotionless, business-like tone.

Fenrir took an uncomfortable gulp of air, embarrassed beyond measure.

"No, it was my fault. They were… childish emotions" he apologized in return. He didn't believe what he was saying, but he didn't want to just lay there and accept her apology.

"Nevertheless, I should have been more careful. I had forgotten how irrational human men can be. But I suppose that's less of a problem now" she said with a laugh. She tapped the tip of his ear, which seemed higher than before.

Fenrir was lost for a second, wondering what she meant, before he remembered how he had changed, and he let out a small laugh as well.

Silence hung in the air between them for a moment.

"Well, I should be going. Recover quickly, alright? Training won't be as much fun if you aren't there. We need someone to fail miserably" She said as she stood. She used the serious tone that she had when they first met, but Fenrir could tell she was smiling.

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you" Fenrir replied jokingly.

He heard Valeria chuckle a little before her footsteps began to descend the stairs.

Fenrir lay back on his pillow. Despite his embarrassment, he was content that there were no hard feelings between them, and hoped that they could at least be friends.

_At least._

He sighed, disappointed that she couldn't return his feelings and allowed himself to fall back into sleep, determined to begin his recovery the following morning.

Fenrir woke late in the morning to the smell of a fresh breakfast waiting for him. He searched for the source of the smell, grasping around until he found a plate resting on a dresser beside him. As he felt around the plate, it seemed to be consisted of several different types of fruit and vegetables, seasoned with various herbs. He preferred meat, but he had to admit, the Elves knew how to make their food taste good.

Once he finished the last of it, with great difficulty and a few times missing his own mouth, he returned the small plate to the dresser beside his bed. After a few moments, he pulled the blanket off of himself. He struggled to command his legs to move. The movement seemed alien now, and took a few tries before he managed to get any noticeable reaction. Slowly but surely, he maneuvered his legs over the side of the bed and lowered his feet to the floor.

He took a deep breath and began moving his body weight onto his legs. After a few minutes he was standing wobbly beside the bed, supporting himself on what felt to be the dresser. Carefully concentrating on every muscle, he began to shuffle his feet forward. He had gone only a few inches, or maybe feet, he wasn't sure, before his legs gave way and he fell forward, grunting as his shoulder slammed into the corner of some unidentifiable piece of furniture.

He lay on the floor catching his breath for a few seconds before lifting himself up and sliding his legs beneath him again. After a few more failures, he got himself standing again, and attempted to shuffle his forward once more. He held his hands out in front of him, searching for any other obstacles. Soon he found himself at the wall, and proceeded to feel his way along it. With his hands following the shape of the wall, he soon found himself toppling over another nameless piece of furniture in his way, this time landing hard on his back.

Fenrir slowly rolled himself over onto his stomach. He slammed his fist against the wood floor in frustration. Again, he had the feeling that he would be crying if he could. After a few minutes of self-pity, he regained his determination and clumsily rose to his feet again.

As he waved his arms around in front of him in search of the wall, he felt something nudge against his mind. He instinctively raised his mental barrier, anticipating a mental assault, but whatever, or whoever, it was remained inside his protection.

_You will not make it far relying on touch, two-legs._

Fenrir recoiled at the sound of the deep voice.

_You need to use sight._

_Do you not think I would be using sight if I had it?_

_No, you know not what you have. You are missing eyes, but not sight. _

_That makes no sense! _

_To you, it may not, but it is true._

_Who are you?_

_I would hope a Rider could recognize his own dragon, two-legs._

Fenrir gasped.

_You are, er, were the egg?_

_Indeed. And you are the impatient human who could not respect my decision._

_What decision? You sat motionless when I was clearly your Rider!_

_Yes, you are my Rider, but I did not stir because you were not ready. _

_Blast it, what do you mean not ready? People are expecting me to take part in a rebellion against the Dominion; I have to be ready now!_

_An unfortunate predicament, but you are young and reckless; I did not desire to pair with you yet._

_Of course I get the selfish dragon!_

A low growl rumbled from the far side of the room.

_If you would be so kind as to lend me your patience, Rider, I would be inclined to lend you something of mine._

_What could you possibly have?_

A blinding light burst through the darkness of Fenrir's sight. It slowly cleared into an image of… himself. He slowly turned his body until it was facing… whatever he was looking from. His sight turned down to reveal a reptilian hide of dark black.

_My eyes, Rider, I will lend you my eyes._


	12. Chapter 12: A New Point of View

**Hello Readers! Got another chapter for you, slightly delayed, but I've been busy. Enjoy! And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I enjoy hearing what you think of the story!**

Chapter 12:

A New Point of View

Throughout the rest of the day, Fenrir attempted to learn how to control his body from the eyes of the dragon. It was a disorienting experience to say the least, like he was watching someone else do everything he thought. Especially since this was the first time he could see his new Elven features. Every hour or so, he was forced to return to his own sightless body so the dragon could recover. After a few minutes of rest though, they would continue. They carried on well into the night this way, until they both decided it was enough for the moment.

Fenrir watched the image before him sink off into the distance until there was nothing left, save the eternal blackness of his own blindness. After a few bumps and close-calls, he managed to wander his way back to his bed. As he lay down, he felt relief sweep through his aching muscles. It was sore enough to walk after so long being bed-ridden, but he had also realized a painful truth. Although he was seeing through the dragon's eyes, he still felt his own body, meaning he now felt quite bruised after tripping over furniture and running into walls throughout the day.

_Uh, Dragon?_

_Yes, Two-Legs?_

_Thank you…_

_Do not dwell on it. I simply did not want a blind fool to be guiding my flight in the future… but you are welcome._

Although neither would admit it, Fenrir could sense that they both were somewhat closer now after sharing the same body for such an extended period of time. While the purpose and focus of the exercise was sight, the close contact of their minds let their memories slip freely between them. While the dragon's memories were few and blurry, Fenrir felt the dragon viewing his with slight interest.

And strangely, Fenrir didn't mind.

He did not feel the need to hide his emotions or experiences from the dragon. Though they were not the closest Rider and Dragon in person, there was a strange comfort in the contact.

The comfort of a Rider and his Dragon.

Fenrir lay back and relaxed into his pillow, content with the progress they had made over the course of the afternoon. Soon the embrace of sleep took him under, and he gave into it gladly.

He awoke the next morning to the sound of footsteps ascending the staircase to his room. He could feel that the dragon was still in his chosen spot on the balcony, and asking the visitor who they were seemed too easy now, so he reached his mind out to his reptilian partner.

_Who is it?_

He heard the wood creak as the dragon lifted his head. A few seconds later, Fenrir received a mental image of a surprised, wide-eyed Queen looking into the dragon's eyes.

He chuckled.

"Hello Mother" he laughed. He kept the image of her bewildered expression in his mind. He found it amusing.

"Fenrir? How did you know it was me?" she asked.

Fenrir pointed to the curled up black dragon on the balcony. At least he hoped he did. Throughout all their practice yesterday, he had memorized the layout of the room, including where the balcony was. He was forced to, to avoid running into things.

"My…" was all she replied with.

_May I?_

The dragon slowly sat up.

_I am to be used as your eyes only when necessity demands it, not whenever you want to talk to someone…_

Fenrir simply waited.

…_Fine._

The dragon gave into his request and Fenrir was temporarily blinded as the morning sunlit room streamed into his vision.

After a few seconds of getting his bearings, Fenrir watched himself rise from his bed and walk to his stunned mother.

"Impressive?" he asked with a laughing smile.

His mother gave him a hug, laughing.

"Most impressive, son. Many Riders have learned to share the senses of their dragons in the past, but never so quickly as far as I know, and certainly not to such an extent as what you two have achieved" she replied approvingly.

Fenrir grinned at his accomplishment.

His mother shook her head after a moment as a thought entered her mind.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. I came to bring you breakfast and to tell you that some of our healers will be arriving soon to continue working on your eyes" she said, raising her hand, which Fenrir had not noticed was holding a bowl of fruit.

_Gods, please let me have some meat soon._

He returned to his bed with the bowl, sitting on the edge to enjoy the small meal. He allowed the dragon to have his eyes back while he ate. Once he was done, his mother took the bowl and they talked until the healers arrived.

Fenrir borrowed the dragon's sight again when he heard them enter the room. There were three of them. They wore olive green robes and had on rings with lightly glowing gems on each finger. Without a word, they took seats near his bedside, except one, who knelt beside him and raised his hands over Fenrir's blindfold.

"Fenrir, these are three of our most experienced healers. They will each take shifts working on your eyes until they exhaust their energy, at which point the next will continue and so on. You were asleep during the other healing sessions like this, so this may be slightly uncomfortable. I will stay here though if you need me" his mother reassured him.

Fenrir braced himself as he released the eyes of his dragon and the first healer began working. At first, he felt nothing. But of course that didn't last.

It was a slight tingle at first, which slowly grew to an unpleasant squirming, until it was an unbearable movement inside his eyes. It felt like something burrowing around inside his skull, like a bunch of snakes trying to escape through his eye sockets. He tried to confine his pain to small grunts but the pain showed no signs of stopping. As the first audible yell of pain escaped his lips, he felt his mother slip her hand in his. Thank the gods she was Elf, because the force he squeezed her hand with would've shattered the bones of a normal man. He was sure it hurt her, and he wished he could stop but the agony had taken over his body. She simply whispered to him, trying to sooth him, hiding her own discomfort as her hand was probably bruising.

After what seemed like hours, the pain faded. Fenrir lay gasping for breath.

"Is it over?" he asked with weak hope.

"No, that was only the first healer. You still have two more to go. Hang in there Fenrir" his mother replied sympathetically.

Fenrir heard the second healer take his place beside his bed and raise his hands. He thought he heard the man whisper an apology, but he wasn't sure, as the pain once again continued. Another lifetime of torture passed with the sick feeling of worms sliding around his brain. As Fenrir began to lose all feeling in his face, the pain finally faded briefly once again. He braced himself for the final assault on his senses. The tingle built up again until it had returned to the immense agony of before. At some point during the torture, Fenrir began to fall in and out of consciousness until he passed out completely.

He awoke the next day, late in the afternoon judging by an image he pulled from the black dragon's mind. Despite the unbearable pain of the experience, Fenrir felt like the healers had done well. He still couldn't see, but he could feel his eyes. He could tell they were there and intact. He was pretty sure they were there to begin with, but he couldn't feel them, there was just a numb, empty space that he couldn't sense before.

Soon after he had woken up, someone entered the room. Another quick image from the dragon's mind revealed it to be his mother.

Before she had even sat down, he began to beg for the healers to return. They argued over his request for a few minutes before she gave in and she sent for another trio of healers.

Fenrir endured another long session of worms in his skull. Hours later he awoke to find that he could open his eyes. He still couldn't see, to his great disappointment, but he could move his eyes again.

Day after day, Fenrir requested the healers, suffering through the torment for hours. There was only slight improvement after each session but it was progress nonetheless. The dragon had left during the second session, unable to take the pain that was shared with him through their mental connection.

The rest of the week continued in blurry pain of healing sessions, until Fenrir fainted for the final time on the night before training was scheduled to begin.

He awoke on the morning of training still sore, but he had resolved to attend the studies with everyone else, and do just as well.

_Are you ready?_

His dragon rose from his area of the hatchery.

_Yes, Two-Legs. Are you?_

_Yes, although it has come to my attention that you don't have a name. We won't be able to communicate well in a study group if I have nothing to call you except "Dragon"_

_Actually, I have already decided on my name._

_I thought it was a decision for both of us but okay. What did you name yourself?_

_Aunyx._

Fenrir thought the name over.

_I think that sounds perfect._

_I am glad you agree. Shall we go to the Training session now?_

_Yes._

With Aunyx's help, he made it out of his room and very carefully down the staircase to the forest floor. They began to make their way towards the training grounds, filled with anxiety.


	13. Chapter 13: Training

**Got another chapter done! The names of the other dragons will be revealed! Hope you enjoy, and as always, please review!**

Chapter 13:

Training

After a few close calls with some trees that were rudely placed in Fenrir's way, he and Aunyx made it to the clearing on the outskirts of town that was to be their training grounds. Receiving mental images from Aunyx, he could see that everyone else had already arrived.

_Blast it, already behind and we haven't even started yet!_

"Sorry I'm late everyone"

They turned toward him as he drew close.

"Fenrir? What are you… I mean, you didn't have to… why are you here?"

He recognized the dumbfounded voice as Valeria. Aunyx's mental image showed her wearing skin-tight olive-green pants and a tan tank-top that didn't quite cover her stomach, revealing a small strip of skin above her waist. Her black hair was pulled into a loose ponytail.

"Come on, you knew I wasn't going to miss this just because of a small handicap. Besides, you said it yourself, you need someone to fail miserably"

He smiled in her general direction.

Valeria stuttered, unable to think of a reply.

"Fenrir!"

That time he knew the voice was his sister.

As if to confirm his assumption, she slammed into him, throwing her arms around his neck. He could feel the tears on her cheek and immediately felt guilty. He hadn't talked to her at all, had she known about what happened to him before now?

He gently pushed her back by the shoulders. Aunyx showed her wearing a loose white tunic and tan pants. Her hair was bound in a tight bun.

"I'm fine Evalette, don't worry about me. I can take part in training just like the rest of you, this-" -he motioned to his blindfold- "-doesn't change anything. I'm still better than all of you" he finished with a joking smile.

"Fenrir is it? Nice to meet you, I'm Icerara **(ik-er-air-uh)**"

Aunyx sent him an image of the Elf. It was the other male Chosen from the ceremony. He was a thickly built young man, with short reddish-orange hair that rose in the middle like a small mohawk. He wore a faded red tunic with a brown vest over it and short tan pants, the color of sand.

"Nice to meet you too Icerara"

After the brief introduction, Icerara became distracted by a group of passing Elven women, and left without another word.

"Hello, I'm Aerin"

Aunyx sent him an image of the new Elf approaching him. She was a petite young Elf, almost childish, and had short blonde hair that just barely reached chin-length. She had on a green tunic with an interesting floral pattern, and short brown pants.

"A pleasure to meet you as well Aerin"

The young Elf blushed shyly and hurried off to occupy her time picking flowers.

"Fenrir, you made it"

His mother entered the clearing. He reviewed Aunyx's image. She was wearing skin-tight brown pants and a green tunic. Nothing fancy like you would expect from a Queen, just simple attire suited to physical activity.

Aunyx grumbled.

_Please tell me that was the last newcomer. I grow tired of sharing my every sight with you, two-legs._

_I believe so. _

The Queen gathered the five of them around and cleared her throat.

"I will be your master in these lessons. You five will train with me and I will teach you basic sword skills, elementary magic and the responsibilities of being a Rider. My dragon, Firnen, will take your five dragons with him to learn their basic flight maneuvers and work on perfecting their fire, as well as their claw-to-claw combat tactics. At the end of those lessons, we will bring you all together to work on your skills in dragon-mounted combat and mastering your mental connection with each other. Remember, there are too few Riders in the world to fly alone. We will train as one, you fill fight as one. You five are a team, and as such should be supportive of your fellow Riders and work together to master your studies. I will not tolerate any of you leaving to train alone, is that clear?"

There was a unanimous "Yes Ebrithil" from the five of them.

"Good. Then we begin immediately"

A large, brilliant green dragon shook the ground as he landed in the clearing behind them. With a loud, powerful roar, he summoned the young dragons from their hatchery across the clearing. They exited their respective pens and walked over to the group.

Firnen called each dragon forward by name, his deep, booming mental voice reaching everyone so they could all become acquainted with each other's dragons. Aunyx lent his sight to Fenrir so he could see the other Riders' dragons.

_Seraphina._

Evalette's shimmering white dragon stepped forward. She had light tints of blue in her wings and claws, as well as her underside.

_Rotir._

Icerara's bulky rust-brown dragon stepped forward. It was slightly larger than Seraphina, and had much thicker muscle. He had sand colored wings, claws and underside.

_Reneva._

Valeria's pearlescent purple dragon stepped forward. She was about the same size as Seraphina, and her scales shimmered a pinkish-color as the sunlight gleamed off of them.

_Eravadir._

Aerin's lime-green dragon stepped forward. He was different from the other males. He seemed stretched out, with a long, slender body. His underside and wings were speckled with yellow and his eyes were bright red, standing out creepily against his otherwise solid green color.

_Aunyx._

Fenrir's sight grew black again as his own dragon stepped towards Firnen. He still had not been able to see his own dragon, since it was his eyesight he relied on. It was frustrating. He just stared into his endless black vision and hoped that he had a powerful, large dragon.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Valeria walked towards him.

"Don't worry; your dragon is second only to Reneva"

They both laughed.

She suddenly grabbed him by the wrist. He opened his mouth to say something.

"Oh, don't get excited, I'm just guiding your blind self over to the sparring area, Ebrithil just motioned for us to join her"

He just smiled at his own stupidity and followed her light tug over to the sparring area. Once there, she released him and they listened to the Queen's instructions.

"Alright, we will begin with swordplay. I will pair you with a partner at random. I've already enchanted your swords with a protective spell to make sure you won't kill each other, but do not be mistaken, they will carry a nasty sting so try not to get hit. Evalette, you will be with Icerara. Valeria, you will be with Aerin. Fenrir, you will spar with me. After some time with your partner, we will cycle so you can get a taste for each other's fighting style."

He heard feet shuffling through the dew-soaked grass as the other pairs moved around.

"Fenrir, your sword"

He reached out and a leather-bound grip was placed in his hand. He hefted the weapon in his hand, getting a feel for its weight.

"Show me your ready stance"

He sank into what felt like his normal stance when he and Evalette used to duel each other. He spread his legs slightly and held the sword with both hands in front of him.

He slammed onto his back as his feet were sweeped out from beneath him.

"Wrong. You have no balance like that. Try again"

He got up and assumed the same position, this time moving his feet farther apart and angling his feet slightly.

He fell forward as she hit the back of his knees.

"Again"

He stood once more and this time bent his legs more.

He felt a hard impact on his stomach and doubled over.

"Even with sight, you would never have been able to maneuver your sword to block that"

Again, he stood and this time lowered his sword a little.

"Finally. Was that so difficult? Now, attack me"

He lunged his sword forward, and met empty air as he listened to her easily sidestep the stab and hit him in the arm with the hilt of her sword.

"Do not ever attempt a stab unless you are positive that your enemy is vulnerable"

He was becoming frustrated to say the least.

"Could I try that one again Ebrithil?" he asked.

She sighed and he listened to her step back to her original spot in front of him. As soon as he heard her footsteps stop, he lunged forward as fast as he could. He felt the tip of his sword make contact with her, though where he hit her he didn't know.

As soon as he realized he actually hit her, he felt immensely guilty.

"Ebrithil, I am sor-"

His apology was cut off as her sword pounded him in the shoulder.

"Never apologize to your enemy"

That was all he could take. He swung wildly at her, each time meeting nothing but empty air, until he received a hard slash to his back.

"Do not allow your emotions to cloud your combat"

He remained on his hands and knees, fed up with the training. There were no rules in combat, why should he follow hers?

"Cycle"

He ignored his mother's instructions, choosing instead to steam in frustration.

"Fenrir, I said cycle. Move on to your next sparring partner"

"No"

The Queen waited a few seconds then sighed.

"Combat is never a choice, Fenrir. Icerara, have at him, force him to fight back"

He listened to Icerara's heavy feet stomp over to him.

"Sorry, Fenrir, Ebrithil's orders"

He listened to the rough movement of Icerara's tunic as he raised his arm and prepared to swing. He was thankful that his hearing was naturally enhancing to offset the loss of his sight. He pictured Icerara and how long it would take him to swing his sword.

He envisioned his heavy build. He was obviously built for strength, not speed. He thought back to when he had stabbed at the Queen and tried to imagine how long his sword was. Icerara's sword was probably the same size. He judged from the sound that Icerara had made when he walked over to him that he stood no more than about three feet behind him.

He thought through these details and swung his sword with split-second precision.

There was a clang of metal as he parried Icerara's sword in mid-air. He listened to his gasp of surprise and aimed his own sword towards the sound. He swung, hitting Icerara. Judging from the sound of the air leaving his lungs, he guessed he had hit him square in the chest. Picturing Icerara's towering body, he swung his sword up and over him. The sound of air whistling through the blades of grass told him that his sword was swinging just above the ground. He adjusted his swing and swept Icerara's legs from beneath him. At the sound of his hulking body hitting the ground, Fenrir swung a final time and landed one last blow on his chest.

Fenrir stood there over him catching his breath. He noticed it was now silent. There were no foosteps through the grass, now lectures on proper form, no shriek of metal as the other pairs sparred. There was just silence.

He could practically feel the others staring at him. He threw his sword down and walked towards the edge of the clearing, listening for the faint chirp of birds in the treeline.

He heard a change in the crunch under his feet as it changed from grass to a layer of pine needles. He put his hand out to feel for the inevitable tree and once he had felt it, he turned and sat down, leaning against the rough bark.

Whether what he had just done made him incredible or just a freak, he didn't know, and so he sat alone, listening to the insects scurrying along the ground and the dew dripping through the grass.


	14. Chapter 14: Tempers Flare

**Another chapter done! Hope you enjoy, and please, please, please review!**

Chapter 14:

Tempers Flare

A light drizzle of rain had begun to fall while Fenrir sat alone at the edge of the clearing. He still had not heard them continue sparring, only their murmurs and whispers amongst themselves. He was irritated that he could not make out what it was they were saying, but he assumed it was about him.

Soon he heard footsteps approaching him. He compared the time between footfalls and the size of the impression left on the grass to what he had heard before and guessed it was Evalette.

"Fenrir?"

"What Evalette?"

"Are you alright?"

"I am wonderful, thank you for asking"

He heard the damp grass crunch as she took a half-step back, apparently hurt by his tone.

He sighed.

"I am sorry."

"No, it is fine, I understand your frustration. It must be hard to deal with… er…"

"My blindness. I know what I am, Evalette, I wish all of you would stop treating me like some cripple."

"We are only trying to help…"

"I don't need help!" He stood as his temper flared. "I don't need pity, I don't need sympathy!"

After a few seconds of silence following his outburst, he heard Evalette's rough tunic rub against her cheek. She was crying…

"Yes you do Fenrir, more than you know."

She shuffled hurriedly away through the wet grass, back to the others.

He dropped back to his spot against the tree. He could feel his clothes become damp as the now-muddy ground soaked in. A minute passed, then he heard more footsteps approaching. He assumed it was Evalette again.

Until he was punched hard across the jaw.

"Your sister came to comfort you!" a very irate Valeria hissed at him.

He spat a small amount of blood into the mud and rubbed his sore face.

"I don't need comforting."

"Drop the act Fenrir. Stop trying to be the tough guy and let's work as a team, like Ebrithil told us to."

There was a moment of silence before she continued, "My hand is in front of you, sightless. Take it and get up."

He gave in and raised his hand. She grasped it and helped him up and they began walking back towards the others.

"Sorry about your face… even though you kind of deserved it."

He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, but remained silent. He heard footsteps coming toward him and measured it to be the Queen.

"Ah, Fenrir, decided to rejoin us? If you're done with your pouting, I have a special challenge for you. Since you're so confident against a single opponent, we decided we would give you a challenge. You alone will defend against the assault of your fellow Riders. You all may attack when ready."

Fenrir had barely heard the final word before Icerara's battle cry rang through the air.

_Of course he would be the idiot to attack first, and in such an obvious manner._

He sidestepped the large Elf's brutish attack and heard his fist whistle past him. Immediately he was swept off his feet from behind by an unknown foe. He heard them draw in their breath in preparation for a finishing blow and Fenrir rolled to the side. He heard an impact in the mud right where his stomach had just been, and lashed a quick kick out at the spot.

His foot connected with someone and he heard Valeria grunt. There was a sharp pain as Icerara landed a blow on the left side of his torso. Fenrir grabbed him by the arm before he could pull back and spun around, using the Elf's own body weight to slam him into the ground. He heard mud sloshing beneath him and jumped off the ground, narrowly avoiding someone's sweeping legs. Someone small, Aerin most likely, leapt and tackled him to the ground in mid-air. He easily shoved the light Elf off of him but was met by a solid kick dropping onto his chest. He gasped for air to re-enter his lungs before grabbing the attacker's leg and rolling, pinning them to the ground.

He heard someone approach from behind him and he released his unknown victim's leg and roll backwards, delivering a kick to the chest of a certain hulking Elf. His previously pinned-down victim had apparently recovered and jumped on him wrapping their arms around his neck. He struggled to free himself as he desperately tried to breathe. The small Aerin swept her petite legs out from under him, further increasing his difficulty. Icerara stomped towards him and landed his heavy fist across Fenrir's face. And another. And another.

Fenrir's mind grew hazy at the repeated blows. After the fifth punch pounded his face in, his strangler released him and he fell to the ground. He rolled onto his stomach and spat a mouthful of blood into the grass. He heard Icerara stomp over to him.

"Had enough now?"

Fenrir shot his fist towards the voice without a second thought. He heard Icerara yowl in pain as Fenir's blow caused him to bite his own tongue. He managed a small smile at the large Elf's pain in the face of victory.

He taunted the brute with a weak "Nope, have you?"

"Enough!"

The Queen stopped them before Icerara could attack again. Fenrir shakily got to his feet.

"Why Ebrithil? I was just warming up."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself Fenrir, but this was a sparring session, not a grudge match."

"Sure fooled me."

"Fenrir, enough! If I had not signaled for Evalette to release you, you would have suffocated, so I suggest you lose your childish sense of superiority and accept that in the end, you could not stand alone against your fellow Riders. That is what I wanted to show you. You may be strong alone, but as a team, you five would be a truly formidable force."

Fenrir came to terms with the fact that it had been his own sister that had held him while he was pummeled. The Queen cleared her throat and spoke to all of them.

"Next, we will briefly go over basic magic and then we will be done for the day."

Fenrir sighed and followed the footsteps of the others as the moved to a different area of the clearing.

They proceeded to go over basic spells, most of which he already knew and had mastered long ago, but he went along with it with minimal complaints. The rest of the day dragged on with Ebrithil's "brief" lesson of magic, until at long last the day's lessons concluded, and he realized that the magic lesson had been a complete waste of time.

Aunyx and the other dragons had been told to stay at the hatchery like they were supposed to, so Fenrir was forced to allow Valeria to guide him back to his quarters, since she lived closest to him.

They walked in awkward silence most of the way, having nothing to say to each other after their long day. After a while, Valeria's footsteps slowed to a stop and she cleared her throat.

"Well, here we are. Please don't tell me I have to walk you in too…"

He laughed.

"No, I think I can make it. Thanks for the help though."

"Not a problem at all. And… sorry for punching you earlier. I mean when we weren't sparring"

They both laughed a little.

"I guess I may have been somewhat… aggressive."

"Aggressive? Try 'jerk'." She replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, alright, I was kind of a jerk."

"Yeah… well, um… see you at training tomorrow I guess."

"Yeah, see you- er, I guess I probably won't see you, but yeah, you will see me" he said with a chuckle as began to feel his way up the stairs to his room.

Valeria released a quick laugh and started off toward her own home.

Fenrir made it to his room and felt around for the bed. It was so much easier to find things outside. Here inside, nothing chirped, no wind blew, there was no movement to tell him where he was. After a few stubbed toes and near-falls, he found his way to the bed and lay down. His bruised body relaxed into the soft embrace of the bed, but before he could fall asleep, a group of footsteps entered his room.

"Who is it?"

"It is us." He recognized the voice as one of the three healers. "The Queen requested that we come to continue on your eyes."

Fenrir sighed and awaited the horrible pain of their healing.

After what felt like hours, he passed out as the third healer was halfway through his session.


	15. Chapter 15: Elesmera Burns

**Update 7/23/12: Added dividers that didnt load when I uploaded the chapter. Now each character's point of view is divided.**

**Big Chapter incoming! I hope you enjoy it and please remember to leave a review!**

Chapter 15:

Elesmera Burns

Fenrir awoke groggily. There was so much noise around him. An explosion rocked him from his sleep. He sat up. He could hear the whistle of arrows and the roar of flames outside.

This couldn't be real.

He got up and blindly wandered towards the staircase.

Evalette ran through the panic-stricken streets of Elesmera.

_What is going on?_

All around her were Elves screaming, yelling orders, and scrambling for cover.

She sprinted for a nearby building that remained intact.

Arya ran out of her emergency armory. It was a small room attached to her bedroom at the palace. It held no more than some light sections of armor and a shortsword, but it was enough for a desperate situation like this.

"How did they manage to break through our defenses?" She yelled at one of her guards.

"I-I don't know, my Queen."

"Well, find out, identify the enemy and deal with them!"

"Yes, my Queen."

"And someone find the other Riders! I want them under my personal watch NOW!" She screamed at a group of idle guards. They scurried around and ran out the gates.

_Please, by the ancestors, let them be alright…_

Fenrir ran down the steps to the forest floor. He could only imagine the chaos surrounding him as the sounds of the burning city assaulted his enhanced hearing. He heard the billow of a cloak and dived forward as a throwing knife sank into the tree behind him.

A furious battle cry ran towards him. He kicked his legs out and sent his attacker to the ground. He concentrated as hard as he could. This was a much noisier environment than the peaceful clearing of yesterday, and his hearing was having trouble picking out the little sounds that would normally give him an advantage.

He thought he heard a sword being drawn and prepared for the attacker's slash. But then there was a _thwip _as an arrow embedded itself in his foe's body.

"Fenrir!"

He felt Valeria help him to his feet and hand him a small sword.

"What's going on Valeria?"

"The city is under attack obviously! They look like White Fire soldiers, but I can't imagine how they could be so confident as to attack the Elves directly, and in our homeland no less."

"How many are there?"

"We don't know. They have lit fires to cause mass panic as a distraction; it could be a small unit or hundreds lying in wait."

"Where are the other Riders?"

"I don't know, I've been looking for them, you are the first one I've found."

Fenrir grew concerned for his sister.

"Enough questions, we need to move now" Valeria interrupted his thoughts.

They began running towards Evalette's quarters, Valeria guiding him with occasional directions as he attempted to focus on the sound of her footsteps.

Evalette grabbed a dagger out of the hand of a fallen Elf as she ran towards Fenrir's quarters. Despite his prowess in combat the day before, he wouldn't survive long by himself.

Soon she came across Aerin holding off a pair of White Fire soldiers, their bright white cloaks stained with ash and blood. Evalette leapt at one at latched onto his back. Before he could react, she reached around and stabbed her small blade into his exposed neck. There was a quick spray of blood as he fell to the ground. She turned to see Aerin slide between the other soldier's legs and pop up behind him, yanking him to the ground and snapping his neck with a sickening crack.

"Are you alright, Aerin?"

Her response was interrupted as she knocked Evalette to the ground and out of the way of an incoming crossbow bolt. Aerin grabbed the bolt from where it had sunk into the dirt, a few feet from where they had just been, and threw it with every ounce of her Elven speed, skewering the man while he reloaded.

"Thank you" Evalette murmured, amazed at the young girl's accuracy.

Aerin nodded in acknowledgement and followed Evalette as she resumed on her marathon run towards Fenrir's hut.

Arya paced the palace halls. Her guards would not allow her to go out and look for the Riders herself, claiming it was too dangerous for the Queen to leave the palace. They had all forgotten her war experience. She had been brought down from a proud Elven warrior to a helpless monarchy.

And she hated it.

As time pressed on and still her homeland burned, she resorted to a desperate plea. She retrieved a small hand mirror from her room and attempted to contact the one who only brought her tears now. The one who had allowed some lost sense of duty to separate them.

"What is it, Arya-Drottning?"

Arya looked into the eyes of her lost mate.

"Arya? Is Everything alright?"

Arya broke out of her longing gaze and cleared her throat.

"Eragon, Elesmera is under attack."

Eragon's eyes widened.

"By who? How did they get through?"

"From what my men have gathered so far, it seems to be Du Hvitr Istalri Dominia. Nasuada's mages have not been true to their purpose, Eragon."

His face went pale with guilt.

"I don't know what you expect of me Arya. I cannot send any Riders, they are still inexperienced. Besides, they would never make it in time."

"Eragon, your son and daughter are here and have yet to be found! I have sent my best men out and they've yet to find them. I begin to fear the worst…"

"Arya, I…"

"Do not allow your sense of duty to blind you, Eragon. I care not what that witch Angela foretold, your place was here! Do not abandon us again!"

Arya was on the verge of tears. Eragon looked down shamefully and hesitated.

"I will consult with Saphira, as well as the other Riders, but I promise nothing, Arya. I am truly sorry…"

Arya smashed the small mirror against the wall. The shards of glass sprayed out over the floor in a loud crash. She leaned her head against the wall.

_Why must you be so noble, Eragon…_

A guard entered the room with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you alright my Queen? I heard a commotion."

"I am fine. Has there been any sight of my- … of the other Riders?"

"I am afraid not. Our men are continuing their search. Four of the five Rider's quarters have been searched with no sign of them. The-"

"Which ones?" Arya demanded, interrupting the rest of the guard's report.

"The quarters of Riders Aerin, Valeria, Evalette, and Fenrir have been searched and none have been found. We have men en route to Rider Icerara's quarters as we speak."

Arya's heart sank.

_Not now, not so soon, I can't lose them so soon…_

"Carry on the search, notify me immediately if any of them are found."

"Yes, my Queen."

The guard exited the room, leaving Arya sitting on the edge of her bed, her eyes red with grief.

Fenrir heard Valeria's footsteps come to a stop.

"Wait, Fenrir, I think-"

She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him with her as she ran towards whatever it was she had seen. He heard metal clashing against metal in a small skirmish directly in front of them.

"Yes, Fenrir, it's the other Riders!"

A great weight was relieved from him at the confirmation of his sister's safety.

"Fenrir, they are surrounded by White Fire soldiers, we have to help. Do not attack unless you are attacked first, we don't want you blindly attacking friendlies."

Fenrir nodded and gripped his shortsword but felt helpless as he acknowledged that what she said was true, he had no way of telling who was who.

He listened as Valeria let loose three well-aimed arrows before dropping her empty quiver and drawing a small knife. The seconds ticked by as he anxiously waited for the combat to stop. After a minute, the clash of swords went silent, punctuated by a decent spray of blood hitting the ground. His heart hammered in his chest as he waited for a friendly voice.

"Fenrir!"

He felt the all-too-frequent embrace of his sister and nearly fell backwards.

"Evalette, thank the gods you're alright."

"Come on you two, we need to report to the palace" called Valeria, interrupting their reunion.

"What about Icerara?" Aerin's small voice replied.

"We will return to search for him afterwards, but as long as the majority of us are present, we need to report to the Queen as soon as possible" Valeria called back, already starting towards the palace.

Evalette led him towards the others and the four of them made their way toward the Queen's palace. Fenrir heard the Elves chanting spells, trying to get the fires under control. The roar of the fires was becoming less, but was long from being under control.

Arya's worry grew as the minutes passed and still no word of the Riders returned. Her mages had advised her to not attempt to contact them mentally, lest any White Fire mages be in the area, but her distress grew more and more desperate with each passing moment.

She could not even contact Firnen to find out if the dragons were unharmed.

Finally, one of the guards entered her room after a quick knock.

"My Queen, four of the Riders have returned."

Arya was up before he had finished, almost running towards the entranceway, but restraining herself so as not to attract the attention of the guards. She rounded the hallway and saw Fenrir, Evalette, Valeria, and Aerin just coming through the gate. She embraced her son and daughter tightly, no longer worried about the attention she was attracting. She would explain her actions later, for now she was relieved to have them with her once again.

Valeria made a slight bow.

"Ebrithil, we came as soon as we could, though I'm afraid we did not find Icerara. What is the situation of the attack? Where are the dragons?"

"Calm yourself, Valeria, you all need to rest for just a moment. We too have been unable to locate Rider Icerara, but I have my men searching for him. The situation is unknown, we have varied reports coming in. We have found out that it is indeed the Dominion, but we are unsure how many there are and what the intention of the attack is. As for the dragons, we have been unable to attempt to contact them for fear of enemy mages listening in, but the last we heard, Firnen had them in the hatchery still. We believe the clearing has been untouched as of yet."

Arya tried to reassure them, but wasn't sure of the situation herself.

She convinced them to take a moment to rest before even considering going back out for Icerara, and led them to an empty area of the guardhouse.

Fenrir tried to resist the lure of a moment's rest while Elesmera burned, but finally admitted that they would not make it long without a few minutes' recovery. Evalette led him to a guard cot and they sat on the side, catching their breath after their sprint here. He could hear Valeria and Aerin doing the same.

Thank you, Valeria, for finding me…" he said, embarrassed to be thanking her once again, but truly thankful.

"No need to thank me yet, Fenrir. We may be dead before the day's end, but you're welcome" she replied with dark humor.

But they all knew it was true. Against a surprise attack by an enemy of an unknown number, there was no telling what would become of them.


	16. Chapter 16: Irony

**Another Chapter ready! I know it is a little short, but it was a good stopping point. I may fall a little behind this week, as I have an importnat paper due soon, but I will try to get something posted each day. Hope you enjoy and please review!**

Chapter 16:

Irony

Fenrir held onto Evalette's hand as they hurried through the burning forest. They had left the palace a few minutes ago, along with Aerin and Valeria, to go check on the dragons and search for Icerara along the way. He felt utterly useless. His pride in his abilities during their sparring session had faded and he was faced with the fact that he was completely unable to fight in a real battle. The sound of a falling tree or an explosion left him wincing in pain at the massive noise.

"Valeria, are we close to the clearing yet?" he called forward.

"I think so, but the flames show no sign of slowing. The fire wasn't supposed to have reached the clearing yet" she replied with a hint of worry.

They pressed on with still no sign of Icerara either.

Suddenly Fenrir heard a small snap followed by Aerin screaming "get back!" before an explosion knocked them all backwards. After a few seconds, his mind cleared slightly. He had a massive headache from hitting a tree, and his left ear was ringing. He tried to get up and felt blood dripping from his ear. He could hear muffled noise all around him.

A powerful mental attack stunned him as a chain net was thrown over him. He called out for the others but could not hear a reply before he was quickly knocked out with a blow to his forehead.

Arya waited impatiently for the Riders to return. She knew it was necessary for them to check on the dragons and locate Icerara, but she wished they would have stayed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of her guards walking towards her.

"My Queen, we have caught sight of the enemy. They seem to be retreating."

"Retreating? We have barely been able to counterattack, why would they be retreating?"

"Perhaps, they didn't find what they were looking for? They have not entered any of the vaults or the palace. Nothing worth pillaging was taken."

Arya thought over the matter for a moment. Then she grew pale as the frighteningly obvious became clear.

"Where are Riders?" she demanded.

"They have not reported back, they are still on their way to the hatchery…"

Even before the guard had finished, he had turned around and began gathering the others into a search party.

Arya almost collapsed as she realized that she had delivered the Riders right into White Fire hands.

Fenrir slowly regained consciousness and tried to sit up. His hands and legs were bound. He was strapped down to a cold metal table. His calls for help were muffled by the strap bound tightly over his mouth. He could feel dry blood crusted around his ear. Cool air stung his exposed face. They had removed his blindfold. His tender eyes burned against the open air.

He heard a door open and slam shut.

"Well, you're finally awake, are you?"

Fenrir couldn't recognize the voice. That wasn't a good sign.

Cold fingers pulled the strap off his mouth.

"I would not advise attempting any spells. Just answer when I speak, stay silent when I do not, and we should get along just fine."

Fenrir said nothing. It was disorienting, hearing the man's voice through his one good ear.

"No need to be shy, Fenrir. I have no quarrel with you. You are but a means to an end."

"What do you mean?" Fenrir asked, unable to resist.

"While you are interesting, no doubt, you are little more than bait, same as your sister."

Fenrir struggled to break his bindings.

"Let her go!"

"We will, don't worry, after we get what we want."

"And what is it you want?"

"Thank you for asking. We only want the Name."

"What Name?"

"The Name of the Ancient Language, of course. The knowledge of which your father selfishly took with him when he ran away from Alagaesia."

"Why do you need us? We don't know it."

"Isn't it obvious? Like I said before, you are bait. While he is the master Rider, he is also a father, and will undoubtedly come to your rescue when he hears of your situation."

"He won't, he left forever. He has not contacted us at all, he does not care whether we live or die."

"Hmm, possibly, but either way, we have you and the other four Riders. It will be intriguing to study the abilities of a Rider HighBorn."

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you not noticed? You, as well as the other four, have enhanced abilities compared to past Riders, a direct result of your father upsetting the balance. When he began taking all Riders and dragons with him to his sanctuary, the balance was broken. As a result, the few Riders left in Alagaesia have been gifted with enhanced abilities to counteract their loss of numbers. This is also the reason for your peculiar Gedway Ignasia placement."

"Our palms?"

"Oh, my apologies, I forget you have not been able to see for yourself. No, you have each been marked differently. Yours, for instance, is in your eyes. I did not notice until removing your blindfold, but you indeed have faint designs on your eyes. It is most unusual, and is the reason for your loss of sight. Most Gedway Ignasia inscriptions are developed on skin, not a functioning part of your body."

"Why weren't the others blinded then?"

"As I said, each of yours are different. Your sister's is a particularly long one that stretches the entire length of her right side, from just above her ankle up to her palm. The small female Elf has hers circling her waist. The large male has his around his left arm, and the other female Elf has hers down her spine. You can thank me for having the decency to not see how far it continues."

"Keep your hands off of them."

"I cannot promise that. If your father fails to give us what we need, we may have to settle for a complete dissection of you five. We may learn how to replicate your abilities."

The door opened again.

"Ah, I am afraid we are out of time for our little talk. Our healers have arrived."

"Why would you waste time healing me?"

"Some of our torture methods require sight. But don't worry; this will not be nearly as gentle as your Elven healers. We will complete what they could not, because we will not bother taking it easy."

Fenrir could not imagine how it could be any worse than before.

He was wrong.

The pain was indescribable. He screamed as they spared no time reshaping his eyes. Blood ran down his face as they hastily went about fixing his sight. He fainted shortly, unable to handle the torture.

When he next awoke, he was lying in a small puddle of his own blood. His face was covered with a blood-soaked rag.

"Finally awake again are we?"

"What did you do to me? That was not healing."

"We fixed your sight, Fenrir, you should be thankful. You almost died from the experience, but in the end, it worked. Unfortunately, you were without sight for quite a while, so we will have to slowly introduce light, otherwise your eyes will become damaged again. I have rid the room of all light sources so we can begin the recovery."

Once again, cold fingers touched his face as the bloody rag was removed. His eyes ached, even in what seemed to be pitch-black.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, but I still don't understand why you have gone through the trouble to heal your prisoner."

"If we are to study you later, you have to be healthy. Now, I'm going to begin to introduce light into the room."

He heard the man whisper a quick spell and a dim were-light shed light into the space around him. His eyes burned as they adjusted to the small light. He slowly began to make out basic shapes in the darkness. The man added to his spell and the were-light continued to brighten. It seemed like hours as they proceeded like this, slowly adjusting his eyes to normal light, until eventually Fenrir could see without much pain in light as bright as a summer day.

He had to stop himself from thanking the man as he looked around the stone room. Any other time, it would have been a hideous, dirty sight, but in his eyes, it was beautiful. A few tears escaped him at the recovery of his sight.

"You can see well again?"

"Y-yes, I can."

"Good."

The man pushed the table where Fenrir lay strapped down through a narrow, damp hallway. They emerged into an open room. The man turned a crank on the side of the table and Fenrir was raised into an uncomfortable vertical position. He could see they were up on a rotten wood balcony overlooking a stone pit. And in the pit were the other four Riders, chained to the wall.

The man sat in a chair between Fenrir and the pit.

"Now, I want you to contact the Master Rider."

"I can't, I don't know how to contact someone I've never met, let alone at this distance!"

White Fire soldiers wheeled a table full of a sickening array of torture devices into the pit.

"I suggest you figure out how, and quickly" the man replied.


	17. Chapter 17: Survival

**Alright, at long last, chapter 17 is up! Again, very sorry for the long wait, but the Fall semester just started for my college classes so I was getting settled into the new schedule. Thank you all for your patience!**

Chapter 17:

Survival

Fenrir tried for almost an hour to send a thought out to the Blue Rider, without success. He just couldn't reach out to a mind he had never met before. As the first hour drew to a close, the White Fire interrogator began to lose patience. The White Fire soldiers in the pit below began to pick their tools of choice and move towards the other Riders.

"Please, don't hurt them! I–I can figure out how to contact him, I just need more time!" Fenir yelled at the men.

"Sorry, Fenrir, we have given you enough time already" the interrogator replied coldly.

The soldier closest to Icerara moved toward him, his torture device gleaming sinisterly in the dim torchlight. The man strapped the device to Icerara's left hand.

"Unless you have made some miraculous progress, Fenrir, we will begin."

"I can do it if you give me more time, just leave them alone!"

"I take that as a confirmation that you have not. You may begin" he said, motioning to the soldier.

The soldier pulled a small metal pin from the device and it began a quiet ticking as it slowly closed in on Icerara's hand. There was nothing at first, but then small red spots began to dot his hand as the dozens of tiny needles of the device began piercing his skin. Icerara bit his lip, trying to mask the pain it was surely causing him.

Fenrir struggled against the straps that held him. He shot thoughts of help out as loud and as fast as he could, hoping that against all odds, someone would find them before any of them were hurt any more. His pleas were left unanswered as seconds grew to minutes.

"Enough," the White Fire interrogator snapped, breaking his concentration.

"It seems to me, we are making little progress with this one. Obviously, Fenrir does not care. Let's try the sister," he continued coldly.

"No!" he shouted at the idea.

He continued straining himself against the straps. He went through his collection of spells, but none of them seemed to have a chance of working. Even just simply breaking the straps would do nothing; the guards would be on him before he was able to take a single step. He couldn't attack any of them directly either, all of them were layered with wards.

The soldiers below were already choosing from the collection of torture devices for their new victim. He had very little time to figure out a plan.

"Stop!" he shouted as they drew near Evalette with an arsenal of knives.

"What is it? Have you any success in calling the Master Rider? For your sister's sake, I hope that is the reason for your outburst," the interrogator answered.

"Let me take her place," he replied.

The interrogator raised a scruffy grey eyebrow.

"Why, by the gods, should I do that?"

"I do not wish to be the one to betray the Riders. My sister will break much easier, sparing me the weight upon my conscience"

The interrogator scrutinized him, looking for signs of a lie no doubt, but Fenrir held firm under his gaze.

"Very well"

Fenrir felt the metal table he was strapped to lean back and roll down a shallow ramp to the pit below. He met his sister's worried eyes for only a second as they were moved into each other's restraints. He watched them roll her to where he had just been a moment before, up on the balcony overlooking the torture pit. He had not thought through this plan very long. Even now, he tried to brace himself for his escape plan.

As he had hoped they would, the soldiers did not bother choosing new torture devices. They came toward him with the same knives they had prepared for Evalette.

As soon as they were within reach, he whispered a quick breaking spell.

But not on the restraints.

He tried to hide the immense pain as the bones in his hand snapped. He yanked the loose limb through the restraints before the human guards could react. He rammed his elbow into the ribs of the soldier on his right, the side with his broken hand, and head butted the other soldier on his left in the chest. He rushed through a healing spell and groaned in pain as the bones in his hand snapped back into place and fused together again within seconds. He almost fainted from the energy the spell required. Healing spells were usually done much slower, but he didn't have time.

He prayed that his hand was fully recovered as he punched the recovering soldiers, knocking them out. This was his advantage. They were only human, while he had the speed and strength of an elf.

He could hear the other guards coming down the ramp to the pit though, and rushed through another spell to snap the chains that held him to the wall. The other Riders followed his example and the room echoed with iron falling to the stone floor as they all snapped their restraints. They each grabbed one of the tiny torture knives that now lay scattered on the floor. They were no match for a soldier's sword but it was a weapon nonetheless.

The interrogator was already escaping, with Evalette still strapped to the table. Aerin threw her small knife and it stuck firmly in the rear left wheel of the table. Their escape slowed, but the interrogator continued rolling Evalette out of the room.

Fenrir ran toward the ramp. He had to catch them on their way out. As he rounded the corner of the doorway, he was met with four guards with their spears at the ready guarding the top of the ramp. He ran towards the one farthest to the left. When he was a few feet away from the gleaming tip of the man's spear, Fenrir threw his knife into the man's eye. He fell backwards, screaming, leaving a gap between the wall and the other soldiers. He leapt over the man as he lay on the ground in pain, continuing his sprint towards the balcony.

The interrogator came out into the hallway a few yards in front of Fenrir. He ran at the interrogator and tackled him to the ground. The man drew a knife from his belt and slashed at him. He winced as the blade sliced a shallow wound through his abdomen. He grabbed the man's wrist, keeping him from swinging the knife again. They struggled for control of the weapon, but soon Fenrir's strength won over and he wrenched the blade from the man's grasp. He sank the blade into the interrogator's neck without a moment's hesitation. He would worry about his conscience when Evalette was free.

He stood up from the man's body, wiping his now blood-covered hand on his pants. He turned toward the entrance to the balcony to find Evalette staring at him. Aerin was standing next to her, still holding the leather strap from Evalette's restraints.

He could tell her stare was one of concern. He glanced down at the knife protruding from the man's neck. It was an unpleasant sight to say the least.

"Later" he answered her questioning eyes.

Valeria and Icerara came up the ramp behind them.

"Is there a reason we are all standing around?" Valeria asked.

Fenrir saw the soldiers who had been guarding the ramp sprawled out across the floor behind her and Icerara.

When none of them answered her question, she started forward down the hallway. The rest of them followed her close behind. They carefully rounded countless corners, navigating the hallways carefully to avoid any more combat, until they finally reached a stretch of hallway that opened up to expose a gentle moonlit night.

They all sprinted toward the exit, glad to be free of this place. They had barely gotten out of the entranceway before a group of guards saw them and ran after them. Fenrir heard the whistle of a javelin and sidestepped as the weapon fell, sinking into the dirt dangerously close to him. Aerin, who was running slightly behind him, grabbed the javelin as she passed it, and threw it blindly over her shoulder. He heard the sharp point clang with a soldier's armor, but knew it hadn't been enough to kill him. He took a fleeting glance over his shoulder to see how many were pursuing them. There were only about ten, but what caught his eye was the place they had just escaped from. The entranceway they had emerged from was situated at the base of a large, isolated mountain. There was a small clearing around it, where they were currently running, which was surrounded by thick forest. Fenrir assumed they were still in Du Weldenvarden, for he knew of no other forest as large as this anywhere else in Alagaesia, and he didn't think it had been that long since they were taken from Elesmera, so they couldn't have gone far.

Another javelin flew past them, bringing his thoughts back to the danger they were still in. they continued their dash to the forest, which was only a few yards away now, while the steady stream of weapons fell around them. A few actually managed to graze him as well as the other Riders, leaving long wounds cascading down their bodies.

At long last, they made it into the thick forest, using their natural Elven instincts to easily navigate through the brush, ducking under limbs and leaping over logs as they made their way deeper and deeper into the woods.

It felt like it must have been hours before they finally began to slow. Even if the White Fire Dominion knew where they were, it would take them a long time to make their way through the trees to them. Still too tired from the experience to talk about it, they all silently agreed to make camp till morning, which was not far off at this hour. Each of them found a relatively flat area of the ground and lay down, content with nothing more than the dirt beneath them. It wasn't long before they had all fallen into the Elves' strange waking sleep.


	18. Chapter 18: Pt1 & Pt2 (Hot Water)

**Hey guys! Super sorry about the wait :( I have had nothing but trouble with the staff of my community college, they dropped me from an online class for dumb reasons and all kinds of stuff. Anyway, yeah, I've been busy trying to fix all that. So here is chapter 18, split into two parts, hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

Chapter 18:

Part 1:

Dirty Water

Fenrir awoke mid-day to find the others already up. Evalette was assisting Icerara as he tended to his hand, Aerin had somehow found her way up a tree and was watching the area with her large eyes, and Valeria was… nowhere to be found.

"Aerin, where is Valeria?" he called up to her where she perched on her branch like an all-seeing owl.

"She left not too long ago. She went to look for something to eat; sleep alone will not keep us going."

"And no one thought to go with her? What if she is captured?" he replied, slightly annoyed.

Aerin paused for a moment then glanced away. Fenrir rose and, after straightening his torn and blood-stained tunic and tightening the buckles of his boots, he started out from their small clearing and into the dense forest. The fallen leaves crunched beneath his feet in a cacophonous chorus as he brushed branches aside, pushing farther in. He kept his head on a swivel, searching for Valeria but more importantly watching closely for any sign of White Fire activity in the area.

He took a deep breath of the thick aroma of the woodland, allowing himself the small joy of such freedom. Freedom from the claustrophobic stone walls of the prison they had escaped from. He quickly became distracted, taking the forest in through his senses. His eyes closed and he could see the almost blinding light from the dense life that surrounded him. He reached out his mind and poured a tiny amount of energy into a plant vine that shone in front of him. The light grew brighter and when he opened his eyes, an unnaturally large flower had blossomed before him. He smiled at the simple but beautiful effect that the magic had.

Remembering what it was that he was supposed to be doing, he shook off the distraction and continued his way through the forest. After a few minutes, the sound of running water caught his ears. He followed the sound, knowing that if Valeria had gone out for food, water would have been the priority. Soon enough, he found a small creek. The sparkling water threw light across the nearby trees as it rolled and tossed over the stones and pebbles at its bottom, reflecting the faint beams of sun that broke through the thick forest canopy. He kneeled to take a few handfuls of the crisp, cool liquid, realizing how parched he actually was as it wet his dry lips. Once he had had his fill, he got to feet and began walking along its bank, following the flow upstream to find its source.

After possibly a quarter of an hour, at which point the thin creek had thickened into a continuous stream, he spotted its origin. It was either a large pond or a small lake, but either way, he would have to remember to tell the others. Moving their "camp" as it were to the edge of the water would give them a reliable source of food and water for the next day or two while they rested. Obviously they were weak with hunger and thirst, and trying to get to Elesmera in their current state would yield little progress.

Emerging from the forest into the small clearing that surrounded the water's edge, he spotted Valeria.

Or rather, Valeria's bare back while she bathed in the pond.

Fenrir's cheeks grew white hot. Her black hair cascaded down her back like a silk ribbon, her shoulder blades protruding ever so slightly as she bent over to wash herself. The water was just below her hips, hinting at her figure but thankfully veiling it from sight. She rose her left leg out of the water to wash it as well, slender, yet toned from the trials of battle, her outreaching arm conveniently covering her chest from his view, though little else was left unexposed. Just as she began to move to a position that surely would have shown all, he quickly shook off his childish shock and averted his gaze to the grass below him.

He winced as he heard her gasp when she spotted him. He could not think of anything to say to help the situation as he listened to her hurriedly leave the water and gather her clothes.

He thought he felt something crack as she punched him across the face.

"You may have the appearance of an Elf, Fenrir, but you really are a human child aren't you?" she scolded him.

He stuttered blankly, only increasing his foolishness.

"I would think you would have the decency to say something when first you spotted me, rather than watch like a typical human." She continued.

Fenrir could almost feel the heat of her anger. Or maybe that was still the embarrassment in his cheeks. Either way, he scrambled for a reply.

"I-I-I saw nothing, I had but just arrived when you noticed my presence, I assure you…" he mumbled as best he could. The most foolish of court jesters would be scholars compared to his idiocy right now.

"Well, unlike you, I have more important things to do than gawk at the opposite sex, so I will be off now. Go bathe yourself, rest assured I will not have the indecency to watch as you did. We need to have at least some dignity left when we return to Elesmera. Kidnapped or not, it would not do us well to arrive putrid and covered in filth."

Fenrir nodded dumbly at her words. He went to the water's edge, but did nothing until she was an ample distance into the forest. After he had waited a sufficient time, he had calmed considerably, and his thoughts were in order again. He began to undress but paused as a thought drifted into his mind.

_I drank the water downstream that came from this pond… and Valeria was…_

He bent over and vomited into the grass.

Chapter 18:

Part 2:

A Huntress Compromised

Valeria stalked off into the forest toward camp. Her embarrassment could almost be felt in the air around her.

_Why does it bother me so?_

The Elves were modest people, but the sight of one another bare was not so troubling as it was right now.

She glanced back through the forest towards the pond and glimpsed Fenrir's scarred, toned back as he lifted his shirt up and off his body.

Valeria choked as her breath caught in her lungs. She scolded herself for her immature actions.

Why were relations between them so strange?

For a moment, the obvious truth slipped into her thoughts, but she quickly shook the childish emotion away.

_It is not possible to have feelings for him. I am a proud Huntress, a crown jewel of Elven warriors; I will not succumb to this foolery._

She leaned against a tree and slid down to sit at its base. Even while she spoke these words to herself, she could not bring herself to believe that they were true.

She cursed herself once more. Whether or not she had an emotional attachment to him, which she did not, she could not allow it to compromise her as a warrior. Such emotions would cloud her judgment, should Fenrir ever be in danger, and would likely cost her dearly were she to attempt to save him simply because of emotion , rather than his honest tactical value, of which there was little.

_Ancestors damn it all, what am I doing?_

She pushed all thoughts of him aside and tried to focus on something else. She grasped her long black hair and attempted to wring the remaining water from it, then tied it into a small bun. She had gotten dressed in such a hurry that her still-wet skin had stuck to her clothes, bleeding through at some points and causing it all to feel damp and tight, so she shook it loose and tried to fluff it back out. Her figure was still uncomfortably visible, but in all honesty, with Fenrir away from the camp, no one else minded her, and surely she would be dry before his return.

There he was again, infiltrating her thoughts once more. Annoyed, she whipped her hunting knife from her belt and threw it into a tree in front of her, retrieving it as she walked past. She chuckled slightly at her attempt to solve her problems by stabbing a tree.

_Who is the foolish one now, Valeria?_

She sighed and continued her walk towards camp in silence. Upon her arrival, she spoke to no one and instead lay down on her designated sleeping spot in the grass and leaves. She was distantly aware of Aerin asking whether she had found any food, and Evalette asking about her brother, but she ignored both of them. She simply stared up into the vibrant green canopy of the woods, focusing on the rays of red sunlight that shone through like stars on the night sky. The crimson light from the setting sun relaxed her, and she allowed her mind to wander blankly.

Some time later, Fenrir returned, he too desiring silence. They shared a quick glance at each other, but looked away as the air filled with almost palpable awkwardness. The rest of the fading day drifted by in silence, and soon the other Riders gave up on trying to ask about food. They all retreated to their chosen sleeping areas, and the night closed in on them, and they were enclosed in the unembarrassed, emotionless, uncaring blanket of the dark forest.


	19. Chapter 19: Breaking Camp

**Hey, look who's back from the dead! I'm back again, hopefully none of you gave up hope on me. I am deeply sorry I havnt had the time to write at all, but I had College final exams, essays, then of course the holidays, and blablabla. Anyways, I'm sure none of you care about these Author's notes, so let's get to the story!Thank you so much for your patience, I'm gonna try and get alot of writing done while I have the chance.**

**The full chapter 19 is up now, hope you enjoy it! As always, please leave a review, it's you guys that keep the story alive by showing that you are still interested :)**

Chapter 19:

Breaking Camp

Fenrir opened his eyes and awoke from his Elven half-sleep. He sat up and stretched, not because he was sore or drowsy, but just out of habit, as he still refused to let go of his human sleep patterns.

Looking around, it seemed the rest of his party was still not up and moving yet. Valeria, Aerin, and Icerara sat in the usual cross-legged meditation-like pose that most Elves used while half-sleeping. Evalette on the other hand shared Fenrir's desire to remain somewhat human, and she lay down, giving the appearance of normal human sleep.

He walked softly through the tall grass, trying not to disturb the others, making his way to a tall tree at the edge of their camp that had become their lookout post. Scrambling up the tree, he sat on a thick branch near the top of the tree, leaning his back against the strong trunk. He scanned the distance, watching carefully for any suspicious movement. They all knew it was a risk to not have someone on lookout duty during the night, but they had seen no sign of White Fire pursuit since they arrived in this clearing, and they planned to move out today, hoping to arrive in Elesmera within a week or two.

Fenrir turned his head slightly as he heard very light footsteps behind him. Closing his eyes, he soon recognized the sound to be Valeria. His extended time of blindness had raised his senses, and while they were no longer quite as hightened now that he had his sight back, he had still retained a portion of his sensory prowess.

"Nothing out there, Valeria, no sign of White Fire pursuit at all," Fenrir assured her as she got closer, assuming she was here for a security report.

Valeria quietly cleared her throat.

"Good. Everyone appears to be well enough for us to continue on our way to Elesmera…" She paused, "Are you well, Fenrir? I-I mean for travel, are you well enough for travel?"

Fenrir turned, confused by the way she stuttered. Valeria had an uncertain look in her eye, but he couldn't tell why.

"Yes, I am… and you?" he replied.

"I am."

They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the forest as the sun almost completely left the horizon. In a few moments, the rest of their party was up and moving about, gathering what little extra possessions they had with them and smoothing the grass out again where they had lay on it, making sure to leave no trace that they were ever there.

Icerera was the first to notice the two of them sitting by the lookout tree.

"Are you two coming or would you rahter sit in a tree till the White Fire finds us?" Icerara asked jokingly.

Valeria and Fenrir joined the group and they set forth again, using the rising sun as an indicator of which way was east, towards Elesmera.

They made good time as they hiked, and sometimes ran, through the thick forest. Their trip proceeded smoothly, and they were now on their second week of travel.

Evalette slowed to stop, and the rest of them followed.

"It has been almost three days since we last stopped to rest, can we not take a moment's break from our journey?" Evalette asked, exhausted (which was a big deal for an Elf).

Valeria was sitting on a mossy log, stretching her legs. Even she had to be sore.

"No, we should keep moving, we cannot allow the White Fire Dominion to gain on us at all," Valeria replied. Though she made an attempt to appear very much in control, Fenrir could clearly see she was out of breath as well.

Fenrir knew they could not keep going like this. If they were caught by the White Fire soldiers while they were this exhausted, they would stand no chance in a fight.

"Valeria, we need to stop. It is of no use trying to continue onwards if we can barely keep up a walking pace," Fenrir told her, trying to be considerate while he blatantly disagreed with her. Valeria was the closest they had to a leader, but Fenrir could stand by while she ran them all into the ground.

Valeria stood to argue with him, but before she could say a word, Fenrir held up his finger and told her to stay quiet.

Valeria looked stunned.

"Fenrir, how dare you-!"

"Quiet!" he silently shouted at her.

He could hear something else rustling through the forest. He turned around, trying to find the source of the sound. He saw nothing as he scanned the dense woodland.

Fenrir turned around.

"Must have been an animal of some sort, nothing to-"

He was cut off as an arrow stuck itself in his back, just below his right shoulder blade. He groaned in pain and turned around to find the shooter. He dove to the side as a second arrow flew towards Evalette. He was no fool to think could grab the arrow out of mid-air, so he did the next best thing.

He groaned again as the arrow meant for Evalette impaled his left hand. Not the safest way to stop an arrow but it worked. He could feel blood running down his back from the first arrow. His hand shaking, Fenrir grabbed the shaft of the arrow protruding from his hand and braced himself before snapping the arrow head off and pulling the rest of the arrow out of his flesh. Fresh blood dripped from the hole in his hand before he quickly healed it with a hastily-recited spell. Once that was taken care of, he looked up to see if the others were unharmed. Aerin was crouched on a nearby tree branch with a small throwing knife raised at the ready. Icerara was pulling an arrow out of his shoulder while Valeria tended to him. Evalette sat near Fenrir with a worried look on her face.

"Evalette, come yank this arrow out of my back," he asked, trying to mask the pain it was causing him.

She got up and nervously grasped the arrow's shaft, closing her eyes before pulling the arrow out of his back.

Fenrir bit his lip, trying not to cry out in pain, and cast a healing spell once the arrow was dislodged.

"Aerin, have you found the archer?" He asked the small Elf.

"No, he hasn't fired again since he hit Icerara, which was right after you stopped his second arrow"

Fenrir cursed under his breath,

"Valeria, how far are we from Elesmera?"

"I don't know, a few days, maybe a week? We are too far to call for help if that is what you were wondering" She replied.

He thought for a second, trying to form a strategy for taking down the enemy archer without anyone else getting hurt.

_Surely we can stand up to a single archer._

"Valeria, I need you to place a barrier around me. It doenst have to be strong, just enough for one arrow," he asked.

Valeria nodded and began weaving the spell around him.

"Aerin, as soon as the archer fires at me, you memorize his location, you should be able to see where the arrow comes from"

Aerin nodded as well.

As soon as Valeria finished her spell, Fenrir stood up, a clear target for the enemy.

Soon another arrow raced toward him, but this time deflected off to the side as Valeria's barrier protected him.

Aerin pointed into the forest and told them all where the shooter was. After a minute of Aerin describing the location of the shooter, annoyed that no one could see where she was pointing, Fenrir finally found the spot she was motioning towards. It was a small cluster of bushes at the base of a large pine tree.

"Can you hit him with your throwing knife?" Fenrir asked her.

"Even if I could see him clearly, I couldn't do much at this distance" she replied.

Fenrir paused.

"Valeria, do you know a spell to put out fire?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" Valeria answered then paused with realization. "Fenrir, no-"

He carefully focused on the cluster of bushes and lit them ablaze with _brisingr._

Valeria shouted at him, but soon Fenrir saw the target come running out of the burning bushes and pine tree, flailing his arms wildly until he collapsed on the ground, burned alive. As soon as the archer lay dead, Valeria began rushing through her fire extinguishing spell, causing the flames to flicker out and fade away, leaving behind a charred tree trunk and blackened grass.

Fenrir turned to her as she scolded him.

"It worked didn't it?"


	20. Chapter 20: Return

**Another chapter done! This one is pretty intense :o As always, hope you enjoy and please don't forget to leave a review! This story is up to almost 8,000 views! I never imagined it would be quite this popular, thanks so much! **

Chapter 20:

Return

Fenrir and the rest of his fellow Riders managed to get through the next few days of travel without any trouble, although they had quite a few false alarms that kept them on edge. They continued getting faster as they neared the borders of Elesmera, elated to finally be back.

They were now on their last day of travel by Valeria's estimate, and only several miles from the edge of Elven territory.

All of a sudden, they were all assaulted at once by a powerful mental attack. The intruder, or intruders, easily broke through their feeble mental defenses. The young Riders were left paralyzed as the enemy ravaged through their memories, thoughts, emotions, every aspect of their minds.

After what seemed an eternity, Fenrir and the others gasped as the mental assailant released them just as quickly as it had attacked.

A few moments later a chorus of voices whispered in unison through their minds.

"_Riders! So glad to have you back safely. You must forgive our intrusion, we have been much more strict in our security measures since the attack"_

Fenrir relaxed now that he knew it was only a group of Elven guards that had searched their minds. Still, he knew they would all need to work on their mental defense. If it had been an enemy mage, they would all be dead.

The trees around them shook and tossed their leaves as a wind picked up. Deafening roars crashed through the skies, and soon they could see their dragons circling overhead.

Fenrir felt a hole in himself fill as Aunyx's mind reconnected with his own once again after all this time. He could see it in the rest of the Riders' faces too, a content smile as they once again touched their other missing half.

"_I do not know how you managed it, but it is good to have you back, No-Scales"_

Fenrir smiled, actually joyed to hear Aunyx's voice rumble through his head. He realized that he and his dragon had been strangely distant during their early time together, very peculiar considering the close ties that most Riders and Dragons shared.

"_It is good to be back at last, though I'm curious as to why we received no help from our loyal Dragons?"_

"_We were deemed too valuable to send out-" _Aunyx snorted mentally with annoyance _"-and were forced to stay within the confines of Pointed-Ears territory"_

Fenrir felt Aunyx's annoyance through their emotional connection.

Now they were within the border of Elesmera, with a group of Elven guards escorting them into the city.

"This is where we leave you Riders, we must return to guard duty. I would highly recommend you hurry straight to the Queen, she will want immediate news of your return"

The Elves bowed and walked off to return to their guard post.

Fenrir grew somber as he imagined how distressed Queen Arya, their own mother, must have been during their absence.

He turned to his sister to find she shared the same emotion. Their eyes locked with understanding and they began their walk towards the Queen's Hall, knowing this would probably be an emotional event.

After an anxious walk through the city, they reached the Queen's Hall. The Royal Guards bowed and stepped aside, opening the large wooden doors to the Hall.

Their steps echoed loudly through the empty space as they made their way inside. They rounded the hallway to find the Queen staring out the large window of her throneroom, her back toward them. They stood around uncomfortably, unsure how to announce their return. A mind brushed against Fenrir's and Queen Arya tensed beneath her ornate dress. She slowly turned around, as if she was afraid of what she would find, and gave a disbelieving smile as she saw them standing there. She began to walk towards them, but apparently decided against it and took her seat in her throne.

_I suppose it would not be very Queen-like to run to them and hug them. She cannot play favorite among Riders…_

"Welcome back Riders, this truly is a joyous moment. In all honesty, we had begun to lose hope… Even your Dragons lost their connection to you completely…" She caught herself as she trailed off, "Where were you taken by your White Fire captors? How did you escape?"

Fenrir looked hesitantly to the others. None of them wished to describe the torture they were put through during their imprisonment. They hadnt even told each other what all had happened to them as they were kept in separate areas.

Surprisingly, it was Aerin who cleared her throat and began telling the Queen everything that had transpired during their time imprisoned by the White Fire Dominion.

Queen Arya grew visibly troubled as Aerin reached the portions of their torture. When the story reached Fenrir and Evalette's torture, the Queen stood and returned to her spot by the window, her back once again facing them. Fenrir could tell she was attempting to hide her tears. He hoped the other Riders didn't notice, but he knew they did.

It took a solid three quarters of an hour for Aerin to finish relaying the entirety of their imprisonment and escape. Queen Arya stayed staring out the window for a few moments after Aerin had finished before returning to her seat on her throne.

"Thank you Aerin. Clearly you have all been through troubles that would have broken many of even the strongest Elves. I have the utmost respect for you all and your perseverence. But alas I will not keep you any longer, I'm sure you are all exhausted. My guards will show you to your quarters, you have have more than earned a good night's rest."

Fenrir and the other Riders bowed and turned to leave, following the guards out into the city as the sun began to set over the forested horizon.

_Fenrir, Evalette, you may stay if you wish, there are spare rooms within the Palace._

Fenrir and Evalette paused for a moment. They glanced at each other breifly before Evalette turned and walked back inside the Palace.

Fenrir remained where he was.

_Fenrir? Would you not like to stay as well?_

Fenrir stared at the ground a few seconds before continuing on his way, following the rest of the Riders to their quarters.

Arya paced her chambers. Evalette had gone straight to rest, but she remained troubled. She went to her dresser and pulled out her mirror, whispering in the ancient language and then waiting. Soon Eragon appeared in the mirror.

"Arya? What is it?"

"They have returned. Fenrir and Evalette have returned, as well as the other Riders"

"Oh, thank the gods-"

"No, Eragon, do not thank the gods, do not thank anyone! They survived and made it back because of their will alone! You had us sit idly while they tortured our children! You-"

"We cannot go crusading around Alagaesia, Arya, whether they are our children or not. I am thankful they have made it back, but we both knew it would not have been in the Elves' best interest to send out armies searching for them!"

Arya could not believe him.

"What happened to you Eragon? What has turned you into this cold, calculating general? Can you not take a moment's break from tactics and-"

"It is not by my own choice, Arya, I can promise you that. Fate has given me a role that does not allow me to make any mistakes, we are only several decades into our recovery from the War, I cannot risk anything-"

"Not even for your own flesh and blood? What if they had died out there, Eragon, would you not feel anything at all?"

Eragon looked away, a remorseful look in his eye.

"Please, do not think badly of me Arya… not you, I cannot bear that from you of all people. You must understand that my actions can no longer be those of a farmboy, or a soldier, or even a Rider. My actions must be those of the Master Rider. I have the future generations of Riders depending on my decisions, Arya, I cannot…" a single, faint tear gleamed in his eye, "I cannot have a life of my own any longer"

Arya wiped her wet eyes.

"Your own son thinks we abandoned him to their dungeons, Eragon… He has not said it, but I saw it in his eyes when he returned… his faith in others has dimmed Eragon, he has grown distant through his absence"

Eragon ran his hands through his hair, his eyes red from holding back tears.

"…Good night Arya…"

The image of Eragon's troubled face faded and shimmered away from the mirror, leaving Arya sobbing alone in her chambers. She sank to the floor in tears. She finally had her family back, and now they were being torn apart once more. As her tears slowed over time, she slowly drifted into her half-sleep, holding her knees in the middle of her floor, wishing that things could be as they once were.


	21. Chapter 21: Gone Rogue

**Back again! Super sorry for the long wait, but life just keeps getting in the way :/ Thank you all for the continued reviews and reading! Also, thank you to some of the guest reviews. Really wish you would log in so I can reply, but your input definitely helped improve this chapter. Anyways, as always, hope you enjoy and please leave a review!**

Chapter 21:

Gone Rogue

Eragon gazed out across the great ocean that seperated them from Alagaesia. The sun was slowly descending over the horizon, the last rays of light casting a blinding reflection over the sparkling water. He let out a pained sigh.

_Sapphira, am I right to do this? Can not the few Riders already in refuge here fend for themselves? Only for a few months…_

Sapphira's claws scratched against tiles as she adjusted her footing on her perch upon his roof.

_I wonder the same, Little One, but we were given a duty. We knew this when we left Alagaesia. A few Elves and a handful of Riders are vulnerable if we leave them alone._

"There is no one out here!" he shouted through his empty room, forgetting to speak mentally. He hoped no one happened to be walking by his quarters at that moment. The last thing he needed was the Elves thinking his emotions were compromised.

_Sapphira, we have been out here for years, decades, and we have yet to find any living thing out here other than some relatively harmless wildlife. _

Sapphira dropped to the oversized balcony extending from his door.

_Eragon, I can give you no advice on this, _she growled, _I am not an old or wise Dragon, I do not have the millenia of wisdom that Glaedr had… You know my nature, so why come to me to convince you that we should not go?_

Eragon stepped outside and lay against her snout, knowing what she said was true.

_I do not know, Sapphira. I know that we should stay, but there are those in Alagaesia that need us as well. I have tried to be the wise leader that the Riders need, but, I am no Oromis…_

_Perhaps that is the problem, Little One. We are trying to fill the role of Oromis and Glaedr, but that is not us. Perhaps what these Riders need is a different leader._

_Perhaps._

Sapphira gently nuzzled him reassuringly.

_Enough of this for now, we cannot think clearly on such things without our rest, and the daylight is growing dim._

Eragon nodded in agreement and they retired for the night, hoping for guidance on this difficult choice they had before them.

Sweat dripped from Fenrir's brow as he swung his sword at the wooden practice dummy for the hundredth time that morning. With a growl he lodged the blade into the wood. The Elves had simple magic barriers cloaked around the dummies to prevent such damage to them, but he had broken past it many slashes ago. He left the sword stuck in the wood, pulling the sweat-drenched bandana off his forehead, letting his long black hair fall back down.

He sat down in the thick grass, cooling off in the cool morning breeze that swept through the trees.

_Aunyx._

Thoughts stirred around in Fenrir's head as the dragon turned his attention to him, stretching after his slumber.

_Yes, No-Scales?_

_Why does no one do anything about the White Fire Dominion? A sizeable army of Elves could easily defeat them, why do we not simply destroy them?_

_What makes you assume I would know the reasoning of the Pointed-Ears? _

_I don't know… I cannot wrap my head around the fact that no one did anything when we were captured. _

_I am sure they had reasons._

Fenrir smirked.

_I would love to hear these reasons. I have become part of the most powerful race, and a warrior of the highest order, and still we sit here. The men back home did more in a day than we have done here in months._

_If it bothers you so, then ask the Queen to do something. Nothing will happen with silent complaints._

Fenrir pondered the Dragon's words.

_Or we could just do it ourselves._

_Even I would call you reckles. You would wage war on the White Fire all alone?_

_No, you would come with me. And we need not wage war, we only need to find and deal with their leadership._

_And you believe the rest of their forces would simply throw down their weapons when their leaders were gone? Your intentions are admirable, but I do not think you have any idea what you are saying. There will be others in place to take the seat of power should it fall._

Fenrir knew what Aunyx said was true, but that only frustrated him more.

_Then we hunt down the others in line to take their place! Blast it all, we cannot simply sit idly while those who captured and tortured the other Riders and I reign over Alagaesia!_

…_Then what do you propose we do, No-Scales?_

_Curse you, Fenrir, you idiot._

Valeria sprinted into Queen Arya's hall, skidding to a stop as she rounded the corner and saw the Queen sitting in her throne.

"My Queen, I apologize, but it is urgent"

"It is fine, Valeria, what is it?"

"Fenrir, my Queen, he is gone"

"Gone? What do you mean?"

"We cannot find him anywhere. We even asked the border guards to try and find him mentally and they could not sense him. He is not within Elesmera."

The Queen sank into her throne.

"Go, gather the other Riders. Equip youselves with whatever you need, and go out to find him. We can only hope that he remains safe until we can bring him back."

"And if he has already been captured?"

"…Bring him back, but do not endanger yourselves unnecessarily. If you come across overwhelming forces, retreat and we will send reinforcements."

Valeria dipped her head in a quick bow and hastily walked out of the hall before breaking out into a run once more.

_You better stay alive, Fenrir…_

Fenrir's eyes watered as the wind roared past him. After a clumsily executed takeoff, he and Aunyx had gotten into the air and flown up and over the range of the border guards. It would have slowed their progress, to say the least, if they had to explain to the guards why they were leaving Elesmera. They had 'borrowed' a harness for Aunyx, but the ride was still rough, and they had only been in the air for about a half hour.

_Do you even know where we are going, No-Scales?_

_Not precisely, no. For now we keep heading west and hope we come across a few soldiers we can question for an exact location._

_You escape them not too long ago, and now we are seeking them out?_

_Yes, unless you have a better way of finding out where their leaders are hiding?_

_Can't say that I do, No-Scales. I suppose we will have to follow your foolish plan._

Fenrir smiled.

_I suppose we will._

Eragon ran his hands through his hair and sighed.

"Do we have everything?"

_Do not ask me, I do not require as much as you do Little One._

"True, sorry."

They had discussed it with some of the elder Elves, and it was decided that Eragon and Sapphira could spare the time to go check on Alagaesia, though the two of them knew the true reason for leaving. Eragon could not abandon his new family (it still felt strange to call it that). His duties, however important, had to be set aside for now.

"I suppose we are ready to leave then."

With a couple leaps up Sapphira's side, he settled into the harness. Sapphira was prepared with a high-energy meal and plenty of rest, and Eragon was bundled up to endure the cold winds that blew over the ocean.

Sapphira rose slowly off the ground with a few powerful thrusts of her huge azure wings, and soon they were off, leaving behind the new land to revisit their old home for what seemed an eternity.


	22. Chapter 22: Breaking & Entering

**Another chapter done and posted! Hope you enjoy! I am trying to make the best of this spring break, I know I am way behind haha. Please leave a review!**

Chapter 22:

Breaking & Entering

Fenrir adjusted his hood to shelter himself from the rain. He walked through the streets of New Carvahall, shooting glances at the busy villagers still bustling about, boots splashing through muddy puddles.

It had now been a month or so since they left Elesmera. They arrived in New Carvahall a few days ago, only to find a relatively small occupying force of White Fire. There were few options here for interrogation, and none of them looked to be high-ranking officers.

He turned and looked up to the Keep of Lord Roran Garrowsson Stronghammer, Bane of the Ra'zac, Hero of Aroughs. The man had accumulated quite a collection of titles during the war, but there were those who still believed that his position of Lordship was given to him only because of his close ties to the Blue Rider.

It didn't matter either way to Fenrir, he needed to contact Roran. His political position would surely mean he had knowledge of the White Fire Dominion.

Fenrir had tried to simply ask permission from the guards to speak with Stronghammer, but was asked to leave, cast aside as another commoner who's troubles were not important enough to speak directly with the Lord.

And so he had decided to enter through the back door, so to speak. If he couldn't speak with Roran, then he would let the Lord's private documents do the talking. He was well aware how morally questionable this plan was, but as long as he found and stopped the Dominion, then his actions were justified.

_Right?_

He shook off the moment of doubt and continued on his way down the back streets of the town towards the Keep. The sun had set and the night was growing darker by the minute, with the rainfall providing even more cover.

Soon he reached the back wall and stared up the damp stonework. He took a deep breath, remembering that Aunyx was just outside the city, hiding among the forest, ready to move in if he needed help.

"Reisa," he said under his breath, and focused as his energy drained from him, raising him quickly off the ground and up onto the top of the wall. He crouched atop the wall, adjusting his fitting on the six inch wide stone. After scanning the area, he dropped eight feet down to the wet grass in the courtyard. Carefully watching the noise of each step he took, he made his way towards the keep, heading towards a dimly lit window.

Sliding along the wall, he peaked through the glass window. Insided was an empty study, with a worn wodden desk and a single lit candle in front of the window.

_Surely they would not leave a burning candle on a wooden desk unless they planned on returning soon._

Fenrir decided to search for another way inside, not wishing to risk being seen by whoever would most likely be returning to the study.

Crouching below the window, he continued along wall until he came across a second window. This one was dark, and he could not make out what was inside. Through the faint moonlight that shone in, he could see the vague shape of maybe a small table and some chairs.

_A dining room maybe?_

As far as he could tell, it was empty, and he was wasting time, so he whispered a quick spell to melt the edges of the glass pane, carefully removing the square without shattering it and bringing unwanted attention his way.

He slipped inside, crouching low to the wooden floor and sticking to the shadows. The room turned out to be a small library, stocked with dust covered books and scrolls.

_Stronghammer is not much of a literary man I suppose._

He tip-toed cautiously out through the door of the room and into a long hallway, dimly lit every few yards by fading lanterns flickering in the dark. He peaked inside each room looking for something that resembled a personal office. Finally, at the fourth room from the end of the hallway, he found an office with a single large desk, with the walls covered in paintings of various landscapes, mounted hammers and swords, portraits of an attractive woman and a girl maybe around Fenrir's own age, along with other personal items.

Silently making his way through the room, he leafed through stacks of papers, searched drawers and shelves, and found nothing. Releasing a frustrated sigh, he made a quick sweep over the room, making sure everything was back where he found it, before leaving the room.

Moving out into the hallway, he cursed under his breath as the wooden floor gave a small creak under his foot.

Then he heard a sword being drawn.

"Ay, who's there?"

Fenrir pinned himself against the wall, pressing into the shadows. He could hear a guard coming up a staircase, and saw his lantern light beginning to flicker into the hallway.

"Hljodhr sundavar," Fenrir whispered.

The sound of his breathing, his heartbeat, everything, faded into silence and shadows slipped over him, wrapping him in pitch black darkness.

The guard entered the hall and looked around, sword drawn. Fenrir's spell caused the guard's light to reach just short of the corner where he was hiding, keeping him in the shadows while the lantern illuminated the rest of the hall. After what seemed like forever, the guard sheathed his blade and turned, returning to his previous patrol route.

After a moment of waiting to make sure the guard was gone, Fenrir released the spell, resting against the wall as he recovered from the loss of energy. He peaked around the corner and down the staircase. The guard was out of sight, but Fenrir could not be sure how far away he was.

After a deep breath, Fenrir recited the silence spell once more and slowly made his way down stairs. He came to an abrupt stop when he reached the bottom of the staircase and saw the guard a few yards farther, patrolling the wide hallway that the stairs led to.

As the guard reached the end of the hall and turned around to walk the hallway again, Fenrir grew nervous that his luck would run out and he would be seen this time. The guard's lantern light grew dangerously close with each step the man took in his direction, and Fenrir whispered a spell to put the man to sleep.

In his hastily recited, panicked spell, Fenrir had not given a moment's thought to what would happen once the man was asleep. Sure enough, the man fell with a large thud onto the floor, his chain mail armor clanging around as he hit the ground.

Fenrir did not even have time to curse his own stupidity before he heard movement in the rooms further down the hall. A door on the left side of the hall opened and two guards came out, swords drawn. From the right side of the hall, a door a few yards closer to Fenrir opened as well, and another guard came out, accompanied by the young woman Fenrir had seen in the portaits in Stronghammer's office. She had a rather fancy (even for who Fenrir assumed was the daughter of the Lord) nightgown that brushed along the wooden floor, and a small dagger clutched in her right hand.

Fenrir began backing his way up the staircase again, anxious to escape from this place now that he had a collection of suspicious guards just a few yards away from him, not to mention that his energy was waning quickly from so much magic use in a relatively short amount of time.

As he carefully retreated, each step he took depleted his energy even more, the spell drawing his strength from him to cover up the sound of his footsteps. After some slow but steady progress, he tried turning around, confident that none of the guards would see him and stab him in the back.

As he turned around on the steps, he lost his footing in the dark and his foot slipped off the edge of the wooden step, stomping onto the next lower plank of wood. He gasped as the spell drew a larger amount of energy, covering up the loud noise of his mistake. His focus on the spell slipped up for only a moment, but it was enough to draw the attention of the Lord's daughter, who threw her small dagger spinning toward him. His reflexes saved him, the knife burrying into the wood in front of him as he dodged to the side.

The woman's attack had missed, but now the guards had focused their attention on the staircase as well, walking towards him with swords at the ready, their lantern light growing closer to the shadows in which he remanined unseen.

He almost ran up the stairs, his energy fading with each step the spell had to conceal. The guards were moving up the stairs now as well, just barely far anough behind him that their lantern light fell short. Fenrir's vision began to blur from the toll the spell was taking on his stamina. As soon as he was up the stairs and in the hallway, he ducked into the first open room he saw and released his spell, trying to keep his breathing quiet while he rested for a moment.

The guards were right outside, patrolling the hallway. He could hear doors opening as they began to search each room. Their footsteps grew closer as they continued their search down the hallway, closing in on the room in which he was hiding. He took a few deep breaths, trying to get his heart rate down and become as quiet as possible, but he knew he had little time to remain unseen. His chances of avoiding a fight were quickly decreasing.

The footsteps outside were now moving toward the doorway of the room he was in, and he braced himself, hoping his enhanced agility would let him sprint for the window he had opened when he entered.

A guard stepped into the room and Fenrir ran forward just before his lantern light fell on him. He knocked the guard to the side and ran out the door. The two other guards were waiting in the hallway aand swung their swords at him the moment he entered the hall. Fenrir leapt to the side, dodging one blade and kicking the legs out from under the guard. The other blade flew inches away from Fenrir's back, and he counterattackedby grabbing the sword from the man's grip and tossing the blade aside. He didn't wish to kill them, he just needed to escape. He elbowed the guard in the stomach and sprinted past him. He skidded to a stop as he almost ran past the the small room with the open window, the square pane of glass still lying on the floor.

His legs were kicked out from under him as he entered the doorway, and he landed on his back with a blade inches from his neck. The moonlight flooding in from the window illuminated the face of the Lord's daughter as she pressed the blade closer to Fenrir's throat.

"Thief or assassin, I do not care. You have made your last mistake entering the Keep of Stronghammer," she spoke with what would have been a beautiful voice if she wasn't threatening him.

"I don't suppose you would believe me if I told you I wished no harm to your father, would you?"

His words were pained as the woman's blade began to cut into his skin.

"Oh, sure, I suppose I will just let you go in that case," she responded mockingly.

"Please, I really do not want to hurt anyone. Just let me go and I will not return. You did not have what I was searching for anyway," he said, hoping he would not have to fight her to escape.

"Good luck telling that story to my father. He is much more ruthless than I, and shows little mercy to those who attempt to break into his home"

Fenrir gave an annoyed sigh.

"Thrysta"

The blade shot out from the woman's grip and embedded itself in the wall, allowing him to grab her by the wrists, rolling over to pin her to ground.

Momentary fear and surprise flickered in her eyes before she regained her composure.

"Nice trick, mage filth," she spat at him.

"They really have you all calling us that? Filth?"

"No one should have the power to make the impossible happen with a simple word. You are all dangerous"

"Only if we are forced to be. You have no weapon now, just let me leave and I will not have to use any spell that will harm you"

"You would have to kill me before I let you escape"

"I will not do that. I am getting up now nd releasing you. Do not pursue me"

A content smirk spread across the girl's face.

"I do not have to"

A hammer tapped Fenrir's back.

"Stand up now, mage, before I knock your skull from your shoulders," said a deep, rough voice.

Fenrir cursed and turned to face Lord Roran Stronghammer.

"Stronghammer, I can explain," he replied, trying to keep calm while the Lord held his hammer at the ready, prepared to crush Fenrir's head with one powerful swing.

"You will have plenty of time for that in prison. At least until the morning, when I hang you for breaking into my home and attacking my daughter," the Lord replied.

Guards entered the room and took Fenrir away. He knew he could easily defeat the guards and escape, but he could not harm anyone, or he would be no better than the Dominion who he seeked to destroy.


	23. Chapter 23: Prophecy Disproved

**04/11/13: My apologies to everyone for the disorganized nature of this chapter! I had dashes in place to seperate the various perspective changes, but apparently they did not go through when I uploaded this chapter. I didnt realize until now that it was one continuous jumbled mess. Fixed it now, so sorry for the confusion!**

**The half-hour-later update: I wanted to add on a little up here. Firstly, the views are now up to 10,300! And I have updated the cover photo for this story. Also, some shoutouts: Elemental Dragon Slayer, thank you for being a long-time reader and reviewer of both this and my oneshot Igniting The Flame. Booklover1598, you are the reason I joined this site, and have been a long time supporter and reader. Plus you're an awesomazing writer XP. mr rophone, you are relatively new I think but are one of the most enthusiastic readers XD. That's all for this one. Please log in and leave a review! If you give a helpful review, I will probably be more likely to check your stories out and, if I like them, give you some recognition like this. Oh, and I am going to answer some reviews that guests left down at the bottom of the story.**

**Time for another chapter! For this one, I had to jump around through different perspectives a ton, haha, hope you guys dont mind too much. Also, Thanks to your continued support, this story now has over 10,100 views! Thank you to all of you, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to know that people enjoy my writing X) As always, please leave a review, and hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 23:

Prophecy Disproved

Fenrir kicked a worn-down stone around his small prison sell, the last faint hours of moonlight cascading through the miniscule, barred opening that they called a window. He hoped he would be able to explain things peacefully to Lord Roran before his hanging. Not that he would be staying for it. If Stronghammer insisted on hanging him, Fenrir would be forced to make a quick escape, possibly with less regard with guard casualties this time around.

Laying down on the rough, stone-cold cot in his cell, he rested, awaiting the coming dawn.

* * *

><p>Eragon smiled as the familiar land mass of Alagaesia came into view on the horizon. Feeding off reserve energies, they add drastically reduced their travel time to only a little over a month, as opposed to the many months it took them to arrive in their new land by boat.<p>

They began their descent, planning to let Sapphira rest on the shoreline before continuing on to Elesmera.

* * *

><p>Arya turned around as an exhausted Elf came running into her court.<p>

"My Queen, my apologies, we have urgent news," the Elven man said in between heavy breaths.

"Is it Fenrir? Have they found him?" she asked hopefully.

"No. I mean, it could be. It's… Our scouts saw a Dragon and Rider landing on the eastern shore. They ran to spread the news before they could identify them, but it could be..."

"Eragon," Arya finished the man's sentence in a stunned whisper.

* * *

><p>Roran apologized to his wife as one of his stewards interrupted their sleep with a loud knock on their bedroom door.<p>

"What is it? It had better be important," Roran asked sleepily

"I am sorry, Sir, but our mages received word from the Elves. They say they have spotted an unidentified Rider on the eastern shore."

Roran gave a deep, farm-boy's laugh before catching himself. He cleared his throat and resumed the Lordly air that was expected of him.

"Begin dusting off this old place and get the hall prepared for a feast worthy of a king. We may have a guest in the coming days," he ordered the steward, barely containing a smile.

"What about the prisoner, Sir?"

"Bah, that criminal is not going anywhere, leave him to rot in there until we can get around to that business. Right now, our focus is our guest having a warm welcome when he arrives."

* * *

><p>Valeria led the other Riders through the thick grassy fields as they trudged through to New Carvahall. Fenrir and Aunyx travelled fast, but they were horrible at covering their tracks. It was easy to follow the path of the different campsites they left behind as they rested each night. Aunyx left huge clawprints in the dirt as he lifted off for flight. Fenrir left behind campfires with dirt kicked over them, a hasty and poorly done way to put out the fire before they left.<p>

The month of tracking them had led her to New Carvahall, home of Lord Stronghammer.

They entered the town, lightly touching the minds of everyone they could in search of Fenrir. No one they searched had any recollection of seeing the missing Rider.

Valeria looked up to the crimson sun slowly rising over the horizon, hoping they would not have to spend all day locating the blasted fool.

* * *

><p>Eragon smiled, running his hands through the sand of the beach. It had now been, by his guess, almost twenty years since he had left these shores. It felt surreal to be back.<p>

_It wasn't all that difficult to prove Angela's prophecy wrong, was it Sapphira?_

_Yes, it is strange to be here when all her other prophecies seem to have been true._

_Nobody's perfect. Maybe she was wrong?_

_I find that hard to believe, Little One. Perhaps her words were not so literal as we thought? Or we misheard her? Whatever the case, we need to find her while we are here. That woman was frightening, even to a Dragon._

Eragon laughed, but he knew Sapphira was right. Going against her prophecy made him feel uneasy, and he needed to find out what she had meant by it.

Sapphira let out a low growl.

_Eragon, there are men on the horizon. They are armed._

Eragon squinted, trying to make out the figures. His Elven sight let him see their outline, but he could not see their faces.

There was a distant snapping sound before Eragon looked up to see a volley of arrows. With a quick spell, he sent a gust of wind blowing them off to the side, where the stuck into the loose sand.

He retrieved _Brisingr_ from a sheathe mounted on Sapphira's harness and sprinted towards the attackers. He soon closed the distance between them and engaged the White cloaked men. In a quick display of swordplay, he dispatched five of them, leaving one more standing. With a murmured spell, he pinned the man to the ground.

"Who are you? Why have you attacked us?" Eragon shouted at the man, who was visibly frightened now that his fellow soldiers were not around.

"Du Hvitr Istalri Dominia. We were sent to defend Alagaesia's shore against a mage."

"By who? Why would you consider a mage a threat?"

"They are all threats, we are keeping the citizens of Alagaesia safe."

"Now who sent you?"

"Queen Nasuada I."

Eragon paused his interogation. He could not believe that the woman he helped put on the throne would do this.

"You received your orders directly from Nasuada?"

"No, but Sir Proteus gave the order under her authority."

"Proteus?"

"He is one of the Queen's advisors and relays her orders to Du Hvitr Istalri Dominia."

Eragon sighed.

_I leave for two decades and they can't keep things running?_

He turned and began walking toward Sapphira, who had walked over to them during the Eragon's questioning.

"I told you everything you asked, Rider, release me now!"

Eragon mounted Sapphira.

"I will, if you tell me one last thing."

"Fine, what is it?

"Where is the outpost you and your fellow soldiers came from? I highly doubt you walked all the way here from the Capitol."

"It's just a small fort to the west of here. Now please, release me!"

Eragon released the spell as Sapphira rose into the air.

* * *

><p>Simon rubbed his wrists, sore from the magic shackles that had binded him. He stood up and turned to head back to camp, only to see it going up in flames as the Dragon soared past, raining fire from its maw.<p>

* * *

><p>Eragon shifted in the harness, the wind tearing past him.<p>

_Sapphira, we need to see Nasuada._

_We will not be visiting Elesmera, Little One?_

_We will have to visit Elesmera later, I am sure the Elves are fine. _

His thoughts drifted to his brother.

_We do need to go to New Carvahall however._

_We have time to visit your old home but not to check on the Elves?_

_I need to make sure Roran is fine. He is much closer to the Capitol than Elesmera._

_Of course, Little One._

* * *

><p>Roran sat restlessly in his study, feigning interest in the book he held in his hand. It had now been almost two weeks since the supposed sighting of Eragon on the shore. He knew traveling the distance of Alagaesia took weeks or months, even by Dragon, but he was growing restless.<p>

Katrina saw him staring blankly at the words in front of him.

"Roran, please, stop worrying," Katrina urged him.

He smiled at her.

"I know, but I cannot help it, I grow impatient."

"You cannot grow impatient if you were never patient to begin with," Katrina teased.

Roran laughed and kissed her.

"Quite true, my love."

A loud thump shook the Keep around them.

* * *

><p>"Geez, Sapphira, can we land a little softer next time?"<p>

Sapphira knelt down in the Keep's courtyard as Eragon dismounted.

_Only if you do not insist on being in such a hurry next time. This is too much flying for me, Little One._

"Well, look who it is!"

Eragon turned to the familiar voice of Roran. He had aged well for a human, maintaining his muscular build and he had a well-trimmed beard. Katrina stood beside him, just as beautiful as when he had last seen her, with only small signs of aging in her face. To Roran's other side stood who Eragon assumed was their daughter, Ismira. She was a seemingly healthy young woman, her copper hair bound in a ponytail. All were dressed in "casual-royal" attire, if there was such a thing. Clothes done up enough to look the part of a Lordly family, but they were clearly not expecting guests today.

"Roran! The years have not been easy on you, have they?" Eragon replied jokingly.

"That's easy for you to say considering you still look like a young child. Look at you, hairless as a baby's bottom. Those Elves managed to keep you even less manly than before!"

They embraced with a brotherly roughness.

"Feels like you have not held out on your feasting oppurtunities here." Eragon teased, motioning towards Roran's slightly rounded stomach.

"Or perhaps you have not feasted enough! Come! Let me show you the benefits of staying in a civilized land, brother," Roran replied, motioning Eragon to follow.

"What about-"

"Oh, don't worry, we will have our men bring plenty out for Sapphira as well."

* * *

><p>Fenrir layed perfectly still in his cell. He had not heard anything else since the loud thump had shaken the stone ceiling above his head. His thoughts immediately turned to the White Fire.<p>

_They have found me._

He had played along with the Lord's prison game for too long to sit idly by while the White Fire invaded. With a whispered spell, he unhinged the barred door to his cell and escaped, sneaking past the prison guards whow were passed out drunk, and carefully made his way up the stairs to the ground level of the Keep.

* * *

><p>Valeria motioned the others to stay close behind her as they weaved through the crowds of people in the marketplace. With a Dragon landed in the courtyard, and an unknown Rider, Lord Stronghammer could be in great danger. They sprinted past the guards, who were no match for their Elven speed, and toward the Keep.<p>

* * *

><p>Eragon and Roran continuing catching up with each other as they made their way through the Keep to the main hall where the feast was to be held. Roran took great pride in his new position, pointing out the skilled craftsmanship that went into the structure, and pointing down long hallways to show how many guard barracks, libraries, studies, and other rooms he had in the Keep. Eragon kept quiet about the monumental architecture projects that were under way back in the New Land, not wanting to overshadow Roran's accomplishments.<p>

Soon they arrived in the main hall, with its towering ceiling and thick support columns that were laced with ornate carvings.

Suddenly the main door burst open and four Elves came running in, weapons drawn. Moments later, one of the doors along the side of the room slammed open and a dirty, dark-haired Elf rushed out weilding a chipped metal bar. Eragon drew his sword and Roran pulled a hammer out from under his overcoat. Within seconds the three groups collided with weapons flailing about.

"Stop!"

Eragon thought it was the dirty Elf with the metal bar who had shouted, but they all froze, with blades and a hammer all pointed at eachother.

"Valeria?" the dirt-covered Elf asked under heavy breathing.

"Fenrir?" one of the Elven women answered, just as puzzled.

Eragon momentarily lost his grip on his sword.

"Fenrir?" he asked, unable to believe the situation.

Eragon stood from his low combat stance, and pulled his sword away from his son's throat.

**Intense huh? Haha, alright, now to answer some guest reviews.**

**On chapter 21, Guest "Jack" asked whether Eragon knew that Fenrir had "gone rogue".**

**A: No, word did not get to Eragon before he left.**

**On Chapter 20, Guest "Brandon" gave a very long and detailed review.**

**A: I want to thank you, because your detailed feedback helped me improve the following chapters. I wish you had logged in though, haha. You had a big hand in shaping pretty much the rest of the story. Others should follow your example and give their input, this story is built on feedback, I havnt planned ahead at all (that was evident in the early chapters).**


	24. Chapter 24: Issues Resolved

**Another Update! I think I am getting back into the swing of things, I am getting chapters written and posted on time now X) One thing, I want to thank Booklover1598 for mentioning Inheriwiki, it has really helped speed things up. I no longer have to go searching through the books to find one little thing, haha. ****Also thank you to remvis, who pointed out that the previous chapter had no breaks in between the perspective changes. Terribly sorry about that, I had dashes in place but apparently they didnt survive the upload. It is fixed now though. ****Anyways, enjoy and please review! We are now up to 10,500 views and almost 80 reviews! I feel so loved :')**

Chapter 24:

Issues Resolved

Eragon sat at the long oak table picking the last few morsels of meat off his plate. The feast had proceeded mostly in silence, with no one wanting to be the first to attempt conversation. Fenrir glared resentfully at him from across the table.

Finally, the young elf girl, Aerin if he remembered correctly, broke the silence.

"Could someone pass the fruit basket this way if there is any left?" she asked softly.

"No. The fruit is gone. It'll be back in about twenty years," Fenrir mumbled.

"Fenrir, that doesn't even make sense," Evalette scolded him, rolling her eyes.

"Neither does leaving everyone you know behind," Fenrir replied.

The young Elves sat quietly eating their meals, avoiding the tense air between father, son, and daughter.

Eragon cleared his throat.

"Son, I-"

"Don't you dare try to call me that," Fenrir hissed.

"Would you prefer I called you daughter?" Eragon asked, faking a smile as best he could in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Fenrir shoved away from the table, storming off out of the room through the main doors. The large wooden doors creaked as they slammed shut.

Eragon wiped his mouth and stood up from the table, shooting Roran an apologetic glance before walking after Fenrir.

_That has to be Arya's side. I don't act like that. Do I?_

As he stepped outside, he saw the two soldiers who had been standing guard passed out asleep. Fenrir sat atop the stone wall that surrounded the Keep. His black hair blew back in the mid-day wind, his eyes squinted in the bright sun.

Eragon took a deep breath and took a few graceful leaps up the wall, sitting down next to his son. He half expected Fenrir to go running off as soon as he tried to speak, so he kept quiet, watching the villagers go about their business in the town below, scurrying around like hundreds of busy insects in the distance.

"I'm sorry," Eragon mumbled nervously.

Fenrir gave no response. He simply kept his gaze focused on the townspeople.

"Fenrir, I am sorry that I had to leave you all here alone. I am sorry I am not better at looking after a family," he stumbled over that last word, "But I am here now. Do not push me away."

Fenrir's eyes glistened with the threat of tears, but he did not allow a single one to flow down. He sniffed and cleared his throat.

"Why did you not come back until now?" Fenrir quietly croaked.

"Well, for the first ten years, your mother kept you two a secret. I'm not sure why, maybe she was scared? Unsure how I would react?"

Eragon cleared his throat again, trying to remain calm.

"Whatever her reasons, It wasn't until later that I found out about you two. It was a shock, to say the least," he smiled with his eyes beginning to water, "and I wanted to come back, as did Sapphira, but after all of us talked it over, we decided it would be safer for you to remain unaware of us. Who knows what hate still burns for me in Alagaesia? I did not want you to become a target of those wishing to attack me."

"A lot of good that did," Fenrir replied after a moment, the first tear escaping his eyes, "we are hunted by the very people you left to safeguard Alagaesia."

"No, no, no, I refuse to believe that the woman, the leader, that I helped put on the throne is aware of this."

"But what if she is?"

Eragon pondered the question.

"Then… I do not know. I will have to find a correction for my mistake."

They remained in silence a while longer, mid-day slowly turning into evening. Clouds rolled lazily across the sky, casting shadows over the rooftops as they passed in front of the sun.

"You really do smell wretched by the way," Eragon joked, exaggerating a face of disgust.

A fleeting smile flashed across Fenrir's face.

"Well, you have Lord Stronghammer to thank for that. Tell him to clean out his prison cells for once. It's enough to make a man _want _to be hanged," Fenrir replied with a small smile.

"How in the name of our ancestors did you get your _uncle _to almost hang you?"

Fenrir looked skeptically at him as he said "uncle," but apparently it wasn't that big of a surprise to him.

"I may have broken into his Keep and rummaged through his personal documents in search of information about high-ranking White Fire officials. And given the moment that he found me, he may believe that I attempted to, er, surprise romance his daughter."

Eragon stared at him.

"You… didn't really do that last one… did you?"

"Gods, no!" Fenrir elbowed him.

"Just checking. That would be strange, with her being your cousin and all."

After a moment more of silence, Eragon stood up.

"I don't know about you, but I am heading back inside. This rocky wall is less comfortable than riding a Dragon bareback, and that is saying something," Eragon laughed.

A few seconds passed before Fenrir turned around and lept off the wall. The two of them walked back inside, still distant, but on much better terms.

With their dispute settled, the rest of the evening passed in a fairly light-hearted mood. The young Riders swapped stories with each other, though they did not bother trying to top Eragon or Roran's tales of battle, of which there were the moon replaced the sun, and they were each directed to spare bedrooms throughout the Keep. Roran also insisted on stationing one of his guards outisde each of their rooms.

The dark hallways closed in and all the noise of the bustling town dimmed to little more than a whisper as the night descended upon them, drawing an eventful day to a close.

* * *

><p>Eragon rose from his bed in the early hours of the dawn. The first rays of sun light poured in the windows and blanketed the room with gold. As was his usual habit, he quietly made his way outside to check on Sapphira. He walked out into the courtyard to find Evalette sitting with the blue Dragon, running her hands along her massive azure scales.<p>

Eragon took a seat on the ground next to his daughter.

"Don't you have a Dragon of your own to bother?"

Evalette gave a quiet laugh.

"I do, but we have not had much time with them. "

"Why is that? Should not a Rider and their Dragon be at each other's side?"

"The Elves, or more specifically, the Queen, er, mother, said that it was too dangerous to go taking the Dragons anywhere."

"While I cant say I approve of locking up the Dragons, I can see she is trying to protect you."

"But the point of a Rider is not to simply stay alive by hiding. We are supposed to help people."

His daughter's words rang more true than she realized. Eragon glanced away, thinking once again about how he had left Alagaesia alone, before it was fully able to stand on its feet again after the war.

"You are right, Evalette, that is very true indeed," he replied.

"Why did you decide to return after so long?"

"Well, I realized that you two," he gently poked her stomach, causing her to laugh, "couldn't stay out of trouble without me here."

"Don't blame me, Fenrir is the troublemaker!"

"That may be true, but he has also kept you safe all these years, and for that I thank him," Eragon said with a caring smile.

She smiled back at him.

"But don't tell him that. He is too proud as it is," he added, whispering to her in mock secrecy.

She laughed at the joke and nodded seriously, pretending she was keeping some big secret.

They sat together, leaning against Sapphira's warm stomach, listening to the morning birds sing their songs as the sun rose higher into the sky.

Once the others were up, they had a large breakfast, with eggs, fresh-baked bread, various fruits, and of course plenty of ham. The Elves declined to partake in the meat, though evidently Roran did not mind as he ate more than their portions.

After breakfast, they began their day. The Elves began packing their things and restocking their supplies for the trip back to Elesmera. One of Roran's stewards showed Fenrir to the bathhouse so he could get fully cleaned up after his stay in prison. Evalette and Ismira had evidently gotten along well, as Ismira let Evalette try out several of her dresses she had stored away.

While everyone else went about their business, Eragon found a handmirror in one of the bedrooms and attempted to contact Arya.

The reflection in the mirror blurred and shifted until he saw Arya in her bedroom.

"Eragon? Is what I've heard true? Have you returned?"

"Aye, I am back."

"It has been weeks, where are you?"

"I am sorry, but I had to check on Roran."

Arya rolled her eyes.

"Is the Queen of the Elves jealous?" Heasked with a smirk.

"Absolutely not! I am simply annoyed that you waited so long to notify me of your arrival."

"Yes, well, it seems I arrived right on time. Fenrir was apparently imprisoned and-"

"What?!"

"Fenrir was captured trying to break into Roran's Keep."

"We raised a criminal?" Arya asked herself, sitting down on the end of her bed.

"Er, first off, we barely raised him, Arya, we sent him away to be raised in a human town. Secondly, he is the son of the Master Rider and the Queen of the Elves. I am pretty sure being captured by my cousin is not the worst thing that could happen to him."

Arya glared at him.

"In any event, I am glad he has been found and is safe now. What about Evalette?"

"She arrived with a group of young Elven Riders."

"Good. Now that everyone is accounted for, I want you all to return to Elesmera."

"We were already preparing to, _your majesty_," Eragon replied, not too fond of her commanding tone.

Arya shot him one last glare before ending the communication, though Eragon caught a glimpse of her smile as the image faded away.


	25. Chapter 25: Armed and Dangerous

**Sorry for the wait! I have been giving my new story BloodSong (Mature!) a jump start. Plus, our home internet just cut out this week -_- Anyways, check it out if you think you can handle it! And of course, hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave a review!**

Chapter 25:

Armed and Dangerous

After saying their good-byes to Roran and his family, as well as thanking them for their hospitality, the group of Riders had started toward Elesmera. Every few days of travel, Sapphira would swap passengers, allowing eveyone to get their rest and maintain their best speed. Fenrir rode Aunyx, though no one else trusted his flying skills enough to ride with him.

They made the journey in a little over two months, with only a handful of brief skirmishes with passing White Fire patrols.

Presently, they were approaching the border of Elesmera on foot. After the mental search by the Elven guards, who had no idea what to do with the Master Rider in front of them, they proceeded to the Queen's hall.

Queen Arya's eyes grew wide and tears began to swell as the group of them walked in. She started toward them but slowed herself as she remembered the guards that were still in the room.

She cleared her throat.

"Leave us," she choked.

The guards looked to one another in confusion before Arya shot them an authoritative glare. They averted their eyes and gave a quick bow before hurriedly marching out the door.

Arya walked (Her dress would not allow her to run) over to them and wrapped her arms around Evalette and Fenrir tightly. After an awkward pause she embraced Eragon as well.

"It is so good to have you all back," she said as she wiped her eyes.

It was only then that she seemed to notice the three other Riders standing behind her family, shifting about uneasily as they watched the affectionate scene.

"And the other Riders have my thanks for helping them return," she tried to add with a smile.

The Riders gave a half-hearted bow in response.

They spent the remainder of the evening catching up, mostly with Eragon, before they each went their separate ways for the night. No one questioned when Arya offered for Eragon to stay in her quarters. Fenrir and Evalette were shown to two spare bedrooms, usually reserved for visiting officals from the human or dwarf government. Valeria, Aerin, and Icerara left and went to stay in the small barracks that served as quarters for the Riders.

The following morning grew serious again. They gathered to discuss Fenrir's going rogue. He explained his motives and while none of them appreciated that he had risked himself on the fool's errand, he was at least partially forgiven, leaving them to discuss other matters.

Namely the White Fire Dominion.

There were equal sides of opposition and support for a confrontation of Du Hvitr Istalri Dominia, and their debate went on for the majority of the morning.

"Fine, don't waste your troops, just let us go ourselves!" Fenrir shouted, annoyed that such a seemingly simple decision had to be overcomplicated.

"I will not send our five young, inexperienced Riders against an enemy of unknown numbers!" Arya replied to his aggression sternly.

"We would not be inexperienced if you would just let us take our dragons out for training!"

"The new order of Riders is young and weak, Fenrir, we cannot afford to put you or your dragons in danger."

"So we simply sit and hide? That is the grand new order of Riders that you plan to show the world?"

"It is better than another dead order."

Fenrir withdrew from the argument in frustration.

They all sat back in their chairs around a large table on which lay a map of all of Alagaesia. A single mark was drawn on the map, marking the location of Fort Halifax. Once Eragon had found the name of the man in charge of the White Fire Dominion, Proteus, they had contacted the Elves' extensive network of spies and scouts to locate him. They had a loose lead that he was stationed at Fort Halifax, a few dozen miles northeast of the capitol.

Fenrir could not believe they were taking so long.

There was a threat; they should deal with it, simple!

For once, the look in Valeria's eyes showed she was in agreement with his impatience. They had avoided confrontation for too long.

"Alright," Arya broke the silence, "the Riders will accompany Eragon while he flies to the capitol to try a political solution with the queen. None of you will do anything at all until ordered to! If peaceful solutions fail, only then will we even consider further action."

Eragon nodded in agreement with the plan.

The Riders shared glances, knowing this was probably the best they would get.

"Still," Eragon broke in, "I would like everyone outfitted and armed enough to withstand a war. It is better to overprepare."

"Agreed," Arya adds.

They are dismissed with a wave of her hand, sent off to find the proper equipment.

They get into the royal armory and the Elves there fall upon them, taking measurements and making notes. After some arguing amongst themselves, they begin pulling out different chainmail tunics and padded overcoats, holding them to the Riders' bodies and finding which best fits.

After some switching around and changing sizes, they each slip into their chainmail, followed by the padded coats.

The measurements payed off and the protection fit snugly on all of them, while still feeling light and not restricting their movement too much.

"Riders, if you would follow me," said one of the Elves.

"The queen commisioned personlized armor for each of you soon after you were chosen as Riders. Our best smiths have been putting the final touches on them this past month. The more decorative designs are not as elaborate as we hoped, but they can be finished later, assuming you do not damage the armor too much," the Elf continued as we entered one of the back rooms of the armory.

Five mannequins were dressed in elegant armor, each with their own unique design and color.

Based on the size and shape of each, they found which one was theirs quickly.

Fenrir's was shining black, with white trim. It was reasonably slim and light, save for the slightly larger pauldrons on the shoulders. The knuckles were lined with small spikes that looked extremely effective for close quarters combat. Embedded in the left palm was a small gem already glowing with a small amount of reserve energy. Instead of a traditional helmet, it had a hood sewn into it, made of countless small metal plates layered over a chainmail cloth. It strongly resemembled dragon scales.

Evalette's armor was much the same, except it did not have the enlarged shoulders, and was a gleaming white with light blue trim. It had a single gem embedded in the outside of each thigh, just below the waist.

Aerin's armor was the slimmest of all of them, with a light amount of plating and fingerless chainmail gauntlets. It was the same green as the leaves of the forest around them, and allowed plenty of movement. The petite Elf's agility would be completely unhindered. There was a gem of stored energy embedded in the neck like a built-in amulet.

Valeria's was almost black, but the light reflecting off of it gave it a purple pearlescence. It had a plated skirt and long, knee high plate boots, the space between the two filled in with tinted chainmail. There was a gem in the waist of her plate skirt. The undersides of her gauntlets were elongated past the elbows into small blades. It was beautifully deadly.

Icerara's armor was the only one to have a helmet instead of one of the scales hoods. The sandy brown plate armor was a fine balance of Elven elegance and intimidating bulk. It looked heavier than the rest, with one one shoulder much larger than the other, providing extra sheilding. The gauntlet of that same side was similarly enlarged into a built-in sheild. A Large gem was placed in the center of the chest. The helmet was a barrel shape with a "T" shape opening in the face, revealing a slim strip across his eyes and down his nose and mouth.

Next they were lead into another weapon to retrieve their weapons.

Fenrir's was a sturdy longsword with an ornate black hilt. It was accompanied by a small, round sheild that slipped easily onto his forearm and still left his hand free for the most part.

Evalette received two elegant shortswords. They were slightly curved; the hilts trimmed with blue, the blades a chilled light gray.

Aerin was given a belt of deadly throwing knives, a light bow and quiver, and a beautiful dagger to defend herself in close quarters.

Valeria received a longsword and dagger which she held backwards in her offhand, the blade facing down in a position suited for parrying the blades of her attackers.

Icerara's weapon was a huge two-handed greatsword. If enemies didn't retreat at the sight of the weapon alone, it could easily cleave an unprotected human male in half. It had a strong leather grip and sturdy hilt, the blade itself almost as tall as Aerin and about half the diameter of her torso. Even in the hands of a strong young Elf like Icerara, it wouldn't be very agile. Luckily he would not have to do much dodging; between the heavy armor and the devestating blade, he would be a nigh unstoppable soldier on the battlefeild.

Walking out to meet their Dragons in the large open field they had used for training so long ago, the sunlight shining brightly over their new armor which was not yet scarred by use, they truly felt like real Riders for the first time.

Firnen assured all of them that he had trained the young Dragons well during all this time, but it did not ease their apprehension as they settled into the harnesses of their respective Dragons.

Even Fenrir found himself still nervous, despite having some experience already. He still found it uncomfortable and was uneasy when he looked down at the ground beneath them, but he pushed the worry aside.

The clearing roared as gusts of wind flattened the grass around them, Eragon and Sapphira launching off the ground almost effortlessly. The five young Riders followed soon after, rising unsteadily into the air and joining the Master Rider in the sky.

And off they flew towards the capitol of Alagaesia.

**For your reference, and mine, a list of the Riders, their Dragons, and a short description of the appearance of each:**

**Rider: Evalette. Deep green eyes. Light brown hair.**

**Dragon: Seraphina. Shimmering white with light blue tiniting on her wings, claws, and underside.**

**Rider: Icerara. Thickly built young man, with short reddish-orange hair that rises in the middle like a small mohawk.**

**Dragon: Rotir. Bulky rust-brown. Slightly larger than Seraphina, much thicker colored wings, claws and underside.**

**Rider: Valeria. Black hair.**

**Dragon: Reneva. Pearlescent purple. About the same size as Seraphina, and her scales shimmer a pinkish-color as the sunlight gleams off of them.**

**Rider: Aerin. Petite young Elf, almost childish. Short blonde hair that just barely reaches chin-length.**

**Dragon: Eravadir. Lime-green. Different from the other males. He seems stretched out, with a long, slender body. His underside and wings are speckled with yellow and his eyes are bright red, standing out creepily against his otherwise solid green color.**

**Rider: Fenrir. Black hair.**

**Dragon: Aunyx. Solid black. Slightly smaller than Rotir, with more lean muscle than bulk.**


End file.
